Canada/Windsor City Council under fire over public transit
Windsor City Council needs to invest more in Transit Windsor instead of cutting the transit company's budget, according to several residents who questioned their elected officials Monday night at the city council meeting.
Transit funding dominated the public question period at this session devoted to the City's operating and capital budget for 2025.
Several interventions criticized the proposed $1.4 million cut in Transit Windsor's budget, for which Mayor Drew Dilkens offered little detail.
These cuts could result in job losses, a subject that will not be publicly debated by City Council.
The fate of Canada's only international transit service, called the Tunnel Bus because it uses the tunnel between Windsor and Detroit, has also crystallized the concerns of some.
On Monday, Mayor Dilkens confirmed that the proposed cuts involve the potential elimination of cross-border bus service between Windsor and Detroit, in addition to a reduction in service on the Transit Windsor network.
The amounts to operate the cross-border bus are enormous, the mayor said, citing the 10 days of mandatory sick leave for workers in federally regulated industries, which includes Transit Windsor because of the international crossing.
Crossing an international border is not an essential service. It's certainly not something we're obliged to provide," he argued.
Making public transit a priority
Nate Hope of Activate Transit Windsor-Essex urged elected officials to reconsider cuts to Transit Windsor.
During question period, he recounted distributing flyers over the weekend at various stops on the cross-border bus. According to him, some riders weren't initially interested in the flyer, but changed their minds when they heard about the potential cuts to the service.
When they heard about the possibility of something happening to the service, they were really shocked," recounted Nate Hope.
Working with Transit Riders United, a Detroit-based organization that advocates for transit funding, he believes adjustments could be made to the bus route on both sides of the border.
For her part, Meg Gregoire, a law student at the University of Windsor, told elected officials that more investment in Transit Windsor was needed to reduce the region's greenhouse gas emissions.
This seems like a retreat from the city council's declaration of climate emergency," she argued.
The message of these proposals is clear: public transit is not a priority.
A quote from Meg Gregoire, law student at the University of Windsor
Raising taxes for better public transit
Windsor resident and downtown homeowner Michelle Smith says she's willing to pay higher taxes for better Transit Windsor service.
There are many things that define a great city, and an excellent transit system is one of them," she told City Council.
John Di Nino, president of the International Transport Union in Canada, reiterated the union's calls for increased spending on public transit. Buses are overloaded, cancelled or subject to extended waiting times, he reminded the council.
The unionist also called cross-border bus service key to Windsor's economy.
I urge you to see the mayor's proposed cuts to Transit Windsor for what they are: short-term actions that will degrade the quality of life for the citizens of Windsor.
What Windsor needs right now is increased investment to improve and expand transit services, not budget cuts.
A quote from John Di Nino, President of the International Transport Union in Canada
Prioritizing safety for cyclists
Cyclist Wayne Charbonneau shared with elected officials that every day he breaks the law by riding his bike on the sidewalk.
He explained that this was the safest way for him to get around the city, in the absence of suitable bike lanes or safe routes.
The cyclist recounted passing a man on the sidewalk who asked him to use the road.
I'll die on the way to work if I do that," he told the council. I'm scared every time I hear a car coming up behind me.
Wayne Charbonneau asked the council to prioritize projects that would make it easier to walk and bike to school.
Council will meet again on January 27 to discuss the budget and propose amendments.
Windsor residents have had 10 days to review the budget presented by Mayor Drew Dilkens.
The budget, if approved, will increase residents' tax bills by 2.9%.
Source: ici.radio-canada.ca/
