From Gower, More Transit, Fewer Words: BENN

Actions speak louder than words. An axiom misunderstood on Ottawa City Council.

Stittsville councillor and transit commission chairman Glen Gower recently published an essay on the need for a better public transit system. “Essay” as in something one might expect from a Grade 10 student running for student council.  Full of platitudes about how public transit will solve so many of the woes suffered by residents of the city. Congestion relief. Meeting the needs of those who either cannot afford to own a car or cannot drive due to infirmity, or chose not to. Words. Words and more words. About the need and the benefits. But none on the how.

Actions?

As chairman of the transit commission, Gower would have been briefed in advance of the announcement of OC Transpo’s New Ways to Bus. The plan that, according to Knoxdale-Merivale Councillor Sean Devine, removed 75,000 hours of bus service. Did Gower object strenuously to this material reduction in public transit service?  Did he speak out against it? Did he advocate for significant changes to minimize the obvious damage to the public transit system in Ottawa? Or did he just acknowledge that it was ready for implementation?

As chairpman of the transit commission, has Gower insisted on an objective survey of people who do not use public transit to find out why? As often written in this column, precious few of the more than 2,000 city employees who report to work in Centrepointe arrive by public transit. At a major transit hub that is but a couple of hundred metres away from their desks. Is there a better, more easily addressed focus group?

As chairman of the transit commission, Gower voted in favour of a transit budget that had a huge hole in the middle. Sources of cash including fares, advertising sales and city tax allocations were insufficient to cover operating costs. A “plan” based on ridership forecasts that were well above any reasonable expectation. How does that square with the aspirational words of his recent essay?

As a councillor, Gower voted in favour of a city budget, another one with a huge hole in the middle. One that did not provide sufficient allocations for OC Transpo to operate a public transit system that will solve many of the woes suffered by the residents of the city.

So councillor, spare us your sophomoric essays. Instead, demonstrate that you understand the basic concept of cause and effect. Start with pondering whether there is a direct correlation between insufficient funding and the reduction in already inadequate service levels.

Bottom line? Deliver a viable and reliable public transit system that meets the needs of the public.

Ron Benn, a finance executive, has been a member of the Centrepointe Community Association for the better part of three decades.

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