Region moves ahead on transit
Niagara took its next step toward an inter-municipal transit system Thursday night.
Regional councillors endorsed a proposal by a transportation working group led by the mayors and CAOs of St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland to consolidate transit systems in Niagara.
Mayor Walter Sendzik of St. Catharines said it is time to move forward.
Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland are all on board. Their city councils have all voted in favour of the concept.
“This shows there is a will to work together to form a model that will work for Niagara,” Sendzik said. “This is a fundamental step we need to take. When we put the rider at the centre of the decision, it is an easy decision.”
The vote was 22-1 with St. Catharines Regional Coun. Andy Petrowski voting against the motion.
Niagara Falls Coun. Selena Volpatti said she couldn’t support the motion as it was presented, but left the chamber before the vote.
Regional Chairman Alan Caslin called the decision a “historic” moment for Niagara.
To push the plan through, Niagara’s politicians will next need to complete the “triple majority.”
The triple majority includes support of regional council and a majority of lower-tier councils representing a majority of electors.
The motion now goes to the lower-tier councils for debate and approval. The Region hopes to have that portion of the process wrapped up by June 1.
If it comes to fruition, the Region would become an official transit provider and join in as a partner.
Mishka Balsom, CEO of Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, addressed the meeting. She said there is not a single transit system in the world that makes money, but that shouldn’t dissuade the politicians.
She said the chamber has crunched some of the numbers. In St. Catharines each resident pays $177.05 a year for transit. The increase in operating costs of the new consolidated model would only increase that levy by 36 cents.
In Niagara Falls, it would be less than two cents, she said.
Even in Welland, which must pay more because its fleet needs upgrades, the increase per capita is a only $2.84.
Elisabeth Zimmermann, executive director of YWCA of Niagara, said a Niagara transit system would improve the quality of life for some of the region’s most vulnerable citizens.
She said access to health care, social inclusion and employment all improve with better transit options.
“It has a positive impacts on poverty-reduction strategies,” she said.
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati predicted the new system will be successful. He said he heard from the naysayers about GO Transit. They said GO would never come to Niagara.
“People said we were crazy,” he said. “Yeah, I know we have empty buses, but we are building a transit system for tomorrow, not for today.”
Caslin cut off Petrowski’s objections to the plan. He threatened to toss him from the meeting if he continued speaking.
Petrowski’s point was that it would be better to put the additional funding into the current systems rather than create a new level of bureaucracy.
It was a view that was also expressed by Rob Llord of Local 846 of the Amalgamated Transit Union.
The inter-municipal working group, which consists of the mayors and CAOs of Welland, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, will now give way to a transit steering committee that will establish a new governance framework.
The committee will explore a number operating models and what they would cost taxpayers.