Time to improve the Fallowfield Park and Ride access!!

Now that the new section of the Transit Way is open on Woodroofe and the busses have their own lanes to travel on when are the city going to improve access to and from the Park and Ride. As I sat in my vehicle waiting to get out of a log jam to turn east on Fallowfield and then to travel south on Woodroffe I thought to myself why don't they open the old bus access to traffic? The intersection is just sitting there with the traffic lights covered in plastic and the lanes are blocked off.

Is this just another example of poor planning by the city or do they intend to open that access for all to use. Why on earth would that not be at the top of the agenda for the city to improve access there to promote Transit use? The city and councilors are always trying to promote use of Public Transit but if it takes just as long to get out of the parking lot as the bus ride then what is the incentive to use that facility? The key in my opinion to encouraging more people to use the public transit system is to make it not only affordable but also convenient. That convenience has to be present in all facets of the system and not just the operation of the busses but access to and from the parking lots as well.

Anything that can be done to ease traffic and pollution in our community should be a priority for the city. With the growing population in the Barrhaven area it is not unreasonable to believe that an increase in traffic will make it more difficult to get around our community and cause our neighborhoods to be more congested.

What is the incentive for me to take the bus when I can drive my car to and from work in less time than it takes to take the bus and get in and out of the parking lot? I am not sure what the rider ship is in Barrhaven for OC Transpo but I suspect it is among the lowest in the city. This is an issue that I believe needs to be addressed by city council and we should be asking Jan Harder what she would be doing about it.

Canada in Electoral Crisis

Canada is in an electoral crisis, and because of voter negligence, we have no one to blame but ourselves. Corruption, blatant disregard for rules, regulations and laws are rampant in all levels of government. The disappointing thing is, the more we get taken advantage of; we seem to become increasingly apathetic, and even accepting, of these practices. It is time to stand and be counted and what better place to start than with the City of Ottawa. How many of us would stand idly by as someone looted our homes or made decisions for us detrimental to our lives and that of our families? None, that’s how many. But increasingly we have become indifferent as politicians and bureaucrats at all levels of government take our most valued possessions, which we work hard for, and utterly destroy them. The decay of our society could easily be blamed on the people in power, as that would be the most obvious and logical conclusion. That belief is where we have abandoned our duty as a responsible electorate and where we need to take up this fight. The truth is painfully obvious when voter turnout is at an all time low and respect for public institutions and politicians is virtually non-existent. The powers that be are just doing what has become acceptable practice, and we in fact reward them for their misdeeds and irresponsible decisions by electing the same people over and over. Why would they change their ways when we, the supposed defenders of democracy, are not holding them to account at the ballot box and incumbent councillors have proven to be practically unbeatable in recent elections. What to do? The answer lies in the next municipal election where we must flex our political will and muscle. Municipal politicians are the closest to the people and their decisions have the biggest impact on the average citizen so this is where our votes count the most. Newspapers, radio programs and community meetings are overflowing with disgruntled citizens voicing endless complaints about how our city is being run and where exactly this council’s priorities lie. To make matters worse, while this goes on, we have watched our communities and neighbourhoods deteriorate to the extent that honest, law-abiding citizens are afraid to walk the streets after dark. This is not just a downtown problem but people in all areas of the city feel uneasy about their safety and that of their families. How could you not be a little weary when a young woman is abducted and murdered from a street in a quiet neighbourhood where it is a rarity to see a police cruiser on patrol? How can we expect to feel safe when there are as few as 44 patrol cars available at any given time to service a city the size of Ottawa? Over the past number of years we have had to watch our money squandered on things like foot bridges, concert halls and crack pipes while councillors take pot shots at each other over whose priorities are in the best interest of the city. It is our duty to take responsibility for our lives and know the important issues at election time. We must set the agenda for council by electing councillors who share our values and concerns instead of letting them dictate to us what their priorities are, or…what our priorities should be. Fundamental change is needed in the city of Ottawa and a complete changing of the guard would send the message that we have had enough. Not until we elect a City Council that puts our interests first and implements policies that are good for everyone, instead of a select few, will voters see that casting a ballot is not a waste of time and we will be on the road to reclaiming our country one city at a time.