Public has their transit say, ahead of crucial council vote

More than 60 people stepped to the microphone to give their their thoughts on a list of London transit projects Wednesday, their last chance to have a say before a council vote next week that will determine much of the city's transit future. 

There were opponents, though most who spoke said they supported the core components of the proposed bus rapid transit plan (BRT) that calls for buses to run in dedicated lanes on four main traffic corridors that radiate outward from downtown.

Many pro-BRT supporters who spoke said it's time to stop dithering and get on with building a transit system that comes with a $500-million price tag but doesn't appear to have enough council support to pass in its entirety. 

Sarah Gastle and her partner moved to London four years ago. 

They'd like to stay, but she said the transit in London doesn't compare to other Canadians cities where they've lived. 

"When making our decision about where to settle long-term, there are many things we look for in a city," she said. "London checks off so many of the boxes on the list of things that we're looking for ... but the box it doesn't check it off is transit." 

She called on councillors — all 14 and Mayor Ed Holder attended  Wednesday's meeting — to move ahead with the BRT plan. 

There was plenty of "let's get on with it" talk. Many compared the decision on BRT to the political fight to get an arena built downtown (now Budweiser Gardens). Some said building better transit now will lead to benefits down the road, in the same way Bud Gardens was crucial to London's selection as host of last weekend's Juno Awards. 

Critics question cost, and neighbourhoods not served

Others questioned the cost and many said the BRT won't directly serve key neighbourhoods, including Byron, Argyle and the London Airport. 

One person who spoke in favour of BRT was Joy Cameron, a student at King's University College. 

She was struck by a car in 2013 while riding her bike on a stretch of Sarnia Road not well served by transit. She suffered a concussion she's still working to recover from. 

Cameron sees transit as a social justice issue, able to help level the playing field for low-income earners who must often travel further from their job or school to find accommodation they can afford. 

"Increasing public transportation options ... could make a huge difference and could mean I could stay in my stable, affordable housing," she said. 

Former London mayor Joe Fontana also spoke at Tuesday's meeting. He isn't in favour of BRT as it's drawn up. He said not enough is being done to boost ridership on the existing London Transit routes.

"There's not enough buses, not enough routes, not enough frequency," he said. " The fact is, there are easy solutions that can be done today ... to get more people on buses."

The meeting started at 3 p.m. and didn't wind up until after 8 p.m., with a 30-minute break. 

And while the discussion rambled at times, its main purpose was to give the public a say on which of the 19 local transit projects put forward by staff should go forward for $375 million in funding from senior governments. 

That money is now surrounded by question marks. It's still on the table but with support for the full BRT plan appearing split, there are now some non-BRT projects that council could include in the applications.

Last week, staff recommended breaking BRT out into its component routes. Now those bite-sized BRT pieces will come to council at a committee meeting Monday, ahead of a vote at Tuesday's full council meeting. It's uncertain how much of the whole BRT plan can survive a council vote. 

After Wednesday's public meeting ended, Holder spoke to reporters, but wouldn't say where he was leaning. 

"Will [the public meeting] sway some views? It may sway some views. We have to look at our own wards and in my case city wide. I think councillors will make their decision not only in their own interest but in what's best for London."