These are strictly my opinions about London Ontario and the state it's in today.
Dear London City Council
For years our councils have seemed to put of making major decisions about roads, buses and development in this city. It seemed like you were always taking the easy route, not changing anything. Most major cities in this province are years ahead of us in transit systems and that was because of good planning something we've sadly lacked. Hamilton with a population of slightly more than 536, 917 as of 2016 ( they lost population going down from 551, 771 in 2014.
) is going ahead in 2019 with light rail because its more efficient and will bring jobs and growth to their city. London? We've got the population moving here from Toronto to retire,(buying what they think are cheap houses) but how long will they stay with out the amenities they are used to and what do you think their purchases are doing to housing prices here? People who rent apartments or buy properties are paying higher prices. This has trickle down effect making it harder to retain workers who can't afford housing which in turn creates a lower tax base. What do you think will happen when these retirees discover London doesn't have the amenities they're used to? Also Toronto has good public transit something we're lacking here.
That's because for years London has been suffering from NIMBY or not in my backyard syndrome. If you don't take transit in this city and most don't (probably because its so inefficient) then you have no idea how bad it really is. The fact is this city has been trying to keep our small town atmosphere to the detriment of jobs and growth. This city did not sufficient plan for any change to roads or driving habits. We need that to change or traffic snarls are going to get even worse and road costs will expand to untenable amounts. If the BRT will not work, because you must expropriate historically significant properties then that means you make another plan with the proper research you should have done originally (Why didn't you know this? That part makes no sense this has been in the planning stages for ten years.)
Change the route and find a solution that works with the least amount of pain and costs for Londoners. That's your job and it seems you are not doing it!!!
You think I'm exaggerating. No!! The roads are becoming busier in London anyone who drives or is a passenger knows that you've waited for delays, had to add time to your commute and seen more roads under construction. If you ask anyone who has used a transit system outside of London they can't believe how inefficient and unreliable it truly is. As someone who has taken the bus and had to plan to leave an hour or and hour an half before you are supposed to be somewhere I truly understand their pain and don't get me talking about how in the past I have waited for buses that never arrived. We need a new transit system I would have preferred the light rail system it made more sens,e but the powers that be (that's you city Council) decided that maybe we could go with the BRT. Now you are waffling again because of heritage buildings? I almost choked, laughing, the city is always tearing down heritage buildings and allowing them to build their things on their sites or it seems the OMB allows them to.
The problem with not moving ahead and keeping the' Old Boys Network' happy with the status quo is that the city is dying, yes DYING!!!. Jobs are not brought to cities that can't supply employers with workers and most employers want workers that they can pay minimum wage or slightly above to and that means those workers may not be able to afford cars and insurance; so they need transit. but if the bus doesn't go there to the workplace that means walking or not taking the job. If it took you four hours to walk to work and home again, most wouldn't do it and in bad weather, forget it. The city needs taxpayers so they can pay for all the things that make a city run this includes the workers and management that would work at these companies. Even if the workers don't own property they pay rent that goes to a landowner that pays taxes, there's your bottom line.
Don't get me started on the brilliant idea to close off Dundas Street downtown. This was done down the street on Dundas Street East to make it pedestrian friendly during the 70's and it failed they had to put the road back and the the shopping died off there. Malls opened on the edges of the city and a vibrant downtown became stagnant and then had only pockets where people actually shopped. Maybe the closed off street would work downtown if they had the amenities such as grocery stores and other needed things to make the area habitable and viable so you could buy things you needed on foot and make our city more friendly to people who studied here at Fanshawe and Western, (By The Way I've talked to them they've said why would I stay, there's nothing here for me.)
Have you seen the cities that have died in the United States? That's where London could be headed, if we don't have transit that works. So please city council get your act together, quit dithering. do some actual research that doesn't have to be changed after ten years of discussion and get our act together before we're all sorry.
©Sheilagh Lee October 1, 2018
