Charlottetown needs to expand public transit
Like many others, this Sunday I took in Farm Day in the City in Charlottetown. I was excited to go downtown and check out all the vendors, take in the great weather and enjoy some delicious pastries, foods and P.E.I. potatoes. What I was not counting on was having to walk two-and-a-half hours just to get to and from Queen Street.
You see, I take the bus. Charlottetown is in dire need of reimagining public transit services to make them more accessible for both disabled and able citizens alike. I was warned prior that our city lacks taxi service during busy times. And, after being turned away by a taxi company due to high call volume, I realized that the answer is staring us all in the face. How do we encourage economic growth, ease the burden on services, aid the environment, reduce the rampant drinking and driving problems as well as foster the Islanders sense of togetherness and community? The answer is make public transit our focus.
Imagine how Charlottetown night life would improve if everyone on a bus route could go out in the evening instead of having to make a 5:45 p.m. or 6 p.m. bus? My experience would certainly improve if I did not need to ask for a ride in order to simply see a movie at the theatre. I could join my friends for drinks at 8 p.m. and know everyone had a safe way home on the bus. Taxi cabs would not be paralyzed by a mass of calls from people just wanting to go out for the evening with their friends.
I am asking the city to consider bringing in another public transit company if the present one cannot handle the strain of getting a city of people where they need to be past 6 p.m. Sometimes, I am not even off work by 6 p.m. and plenty of people work on Sundays. Why are these buses not available to an average, everyday person just trying to be part of the community? Now is an even more pressing time to be supporting public transit to help lower our carbon footprints and push environmentally conscious choices.
As a disabled person, I should not need to walk one or two hours a day to take part in this community. The lack of transit infrastructure makes me feel unwanted and withdrawn from simply enjoying all that Charlottetown has to offer. Presently, I am unsure if I will even be able to make it to and from work in the winter if the sidewalks are icy, which runs the risk of further alienating me from being a productive member of this city.
I know that recently more stops have been added to help, and what I am asking is for the city to pull together and make even more investments in transit. What I would like to see is a city that is livable, walkable, comfortable and enjoyable for those of us who cannot drive. Please support your local public transit and its expansion.