Grover: Along with a new GM, OC Transpo needs more democracy
Renée Amilcar will step down as OC Transpo general manager on July 18. I can't say I blame her: being the face of a crumbling public transit system with no means to fix it is a deeply unenviable job.
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Of course, she is fully responsible for certain decisions, such as the specific route changes we've all been enjoying under the 'New Ways to Bus' era of longer commutes and more transfers. But those are, to be maximally charitable, the result of having a very limited toolbox with which to address Ottawa's longstanding, structural transit issues.
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Ultimately, the general manager operates within parameters set by the mayor and city council, who for the last several years have approved sub-inflationary tax increases, have underfunded bus service, and have upheld car-centric city planning. As a result, OC Transpo has neither enough buses to run frequent service nor any dedicated lanes to keep its busiest routes out of traffic; these bedrock issues are political choices. We can't expect a new general manager to do any better with the same limited resources, provided by the same mayor and council.
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Making Ottawa an affordable place to live, with far less traffic and air pollution, requires good public transit. Years of fare hikes and austerity budgets have made this impossible. Transit is far too important to get wrong; if the politicians can't figure it out, they should hand the reins to those who live it every day.
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Selecting a new general manager is an opportunity to democratize OC Transpo. Rather than being hand-picked by the city manager, a hiring committee composed of those most impacted by transit service should make the selection. Representatives from groups with democratic membership structures, such as the bus drivers' union, student unions and rider advocacy groups would fit the bill. A general manager serving at the grace of these interests would be much more broadly accountable to the public.
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This same committee could become a permanent feature of the OC Transpo governance structure, placing those who use and operate transit at the decision-making table. Route planning can and should involve direct input from riders, who know best what makes the system work or not. The annual transit budget should be drafted by this committee, before the budget directions are set, to reflect what matters to the people of Ottawa, not just to politicians and city staff. This is more likely to result in sorely needed investments: frequent service, transit priority infrastructure, better maintenance, affordable fares and an adequate fleet of Para Transpo vehicles.
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Grover: Along with a new GM, OC Transpo needs more democracy
Renée Amilcar will step down as OC Transpo general manager on July 18. I can't say I blame her: being the face of a crumbling public transit system with no means to fix it is a deeply unenviable job. Article content Of course, she is fully responsible for certain decisions, such as the specific route changes we've all been enjoying under the 'New Ways to Bus' era of longer commutes and more transfers. But those are, to be maximally charitable, the result of having a very limited toolbox with which to address Ottawa's longstanding, structural transit issues. Article content Article content Article content Ultimately, the general manager operates within parameters set by the mayor and city council, who for the last several years have approved sub-inflationary tax increases, have underfunded bus service, and have upheld car-centric city planning. As a result, OC Transpo has neither enough buses to run frequent service nor any dedicated lanes to keep its busiest routes out of traffic; these bedrock issues are political choices. We can't expect a new general manager to do any better with the same limited resources, provided by the same mayor and council. Article content Making Ottawa an affordable place to live, with far less traffic and air pollution, requires good public transit. Years of fare hikes and austerity budgets have made this impossible. Transit is far too important to get wrong; if the politicians can't figure it out, they should hand the reins to those who live it every day. Article content Article content Article content Selecting a new general manager is an opportunity to democratize OC Transpo. Rather than being hand-picked by the city manager, a hiring committee composed of those most impacted by transit service should make the selection. Representatives from groups with democratic membership structures, such as the bus drivers' union, student unions and rider advocacy groups would fit the bill. A general manager serving at the grace of these interests would be much more broadly accountable to the public. Article content This same committee could become a permanent feature of the OC Transpo governance structure, placing those who use and operate transit at the decision-making table. Route planning can and should involve direct input from riders, who know best what makes the system work or not. The annual transit budget should be drafted by this committee, before the budget directions are set, to reflect what matters to the people of Ottawa, not just to politicians and city staff. This is more likely to result in sorely needed investments: frequent service, transit priority infrastructure, better maintenance, affordable fares and an adequate fleet of Para Transpo vehicles.
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