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Public to have ample
say in transit review Susan says the City of Peterborough has been undergoing a big operations review this year. As well, a recent transit review in late June has already occurred and there are surveys on board all the buses right now to gather more input. Susan says calls will soon be made to a large sampling of people in Peterborough to glean their views on the transit system. All of this consulting is designed to get recommendations and input for changes to the system, she says. Once that is achieved, everything to date will be presented and open for discussion again in the fall, before a firm plan finally arrives in front of council. "For next spring, I’m hoping we will see big changes," says Susan, including improvements to routes and accessibility. Susan’s job title is relatively rare in municipal structures. She says her position – to encourage and facilitate alternative forms of transportation – exists in London, Markham, Waterloo, sections of the Greater Toronto Area and perhaps Ottawa. "But we’re the smallest community in Ontario that has someone" with this primary purpose. She says this frees up pressure on non-profits like Peterborough Green-Up, which, with limited resources, does a lot of work on its own to encourage a vision for sustainable transportation. Despite the major review transit service is undergoing, walking and cycling are also being promoted by the City. "Local data suggests 60 per cent of vehicle trips are less than two kilometres away," says Susan, adding there is the potential to use other forms of transportation here, such as walking or cycling. "When we walk, we get to know our neighbours and we shop downtown. We can’t talk with one another if we’re all in our cars," an aspect of community-building that shouldn’t be taken for granted, says Susan. |
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Peaceful Communities is reaching more people! The Grassroots Review |
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