Region chairman touts transit system without borders
Regional Chairman Alan Caslin is extolling the virtues of creating a regional transit service, comparing it to the same sort of seamless transportation services offered in larger urban areas.
While updating Welland city councillors about regional initiatives at their Tuesday night meeting, Caslin also responded to questions about efforts underway to consolidate transit services offered within the region.
“Wouldn’t it be great to say that Niagara has a transit system that has no borders — has no transfers?” Caslin asked councillors.
“You can get from Welland to Niagara-on-the-Lake to Grimsby to West Lincoln without having to pay different fees or understand different schedules.” He said it would help local industries in need of workers.
“I can’t tell you how many times I get calls from people in Niagara-onthe-Lake saying ‘I have a thousand jobs down here and I can’t get people,’” he said.
“It’s the same in Welland, the same in Port Colborne,” he said.
“Imagine a transportation system that gets you where you need to go and you don’t have to have a car in Niagara. Can you imagine getting where you need to go without having a car? Wouldn’t that be great?” he said.
A consolidated transit service is “something that’s collaborative, something that works smooth like (in) downtown Toronto or any major city that you can get where you need to be whether it’s for school, a medical appointment, your job.”
Caslin said Welland’s regional council representatives have led efforts to consolidate transit services throughout the region.
“The real leadership in the room is right there and right there,” he said, pointing to Mayor Frank Campion and Regional Coun. Paul Grenier.
“With out those two people representing you, and George Marshal as well at regional council, things don’t happen.”