Political push for more consultation with LTC before green lighting free bus pass pilot project for high schoolers
A pair of city councillors want a feasibility study completed before deciding the location and parameters of a pilot project to provide free bus passes to high school students.
On Tuesday, city council will consider a motion by Coun. David Ferreira and Coun. Corrine Rahman that backs conducting the pilot project “in principle,” but seeks more information in the form of a feasibility report before choosing a school, methodology and source of funding.
The motion comes less than a week after council’s Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee recommended directing Civic Administration to reach a draft agreement with the Thames Valley District School Board (TVDSB) and the London Transit Commission (LTC) to launch a pilot project giving free bus passes to grade nine students at Clarke Road Secondary School this September, and to grade nine and grade 10 students next September.
Ferreira admits consulting with London Transit and performing a route/ridership analysis might result in a different school being chosen as the test site, and could jeopardize launching this September.
“Obviously a September launch would be important to me, but doing the work right is important to me as well,” explained Ferreira. “Would it delay a September launch? It most likely would.”
On Friday, LTC General Manager Kelly Paleczny told CTV News London that several of the bus routes serving the Clarke Road Secondary School area are already at or above capacity during peak periods when students travel to and from school.
Encouraging more students to ride those routes could displace passengers who currently pay full fare.
Paleczny said that while boosting ridership is a goal for London Transit, the immediate need is to expand routes, improve service and increase frequency for existing riders.
On Friday, Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis said the feasibility of a pilot project would be part of the work performed by Civic Administration, TVDSB and LTC if they are directed to develop a draft agreement.
Lewis said an analysis of existing ridership must consider both the time of day and the specific locations along a route when buses exceed capacity.
Ferreira and Rahman’s motion states:
That Civic Administration in collaboration with the London Transit Commission, Thames Valley District School Board be directed to initiate the development of a memorandum of understanding for a multi-year pilot project to provide annual transit passes to secondary school students, including:
- The current post-secondary student annual transit pass agreements between the City of London, Western University and Fanshawe College and the current children under 12 ride free program be considered as templates to establish the framework for this pilot program
- The Civic Administration be directed to report back to council with a feasibility report including recommended routes as decided by all parties, shared goals, metrics, costing, methodology for tracking results and an appropriate secured source of financing for the pilot program
"Look into what routes, and which schools in the area would be most appropriate to conduct such a study,” added Ferreira. “And I would like to see how any future expansion would be included in this too. I think we should be looking into that right now."
There is already a subsidized bus pass for students aged 13 to 17.
On Tuesday, council will consider the new motion along with the original recommendation by SPPC to seek a draft agreement with TVDSB and LTC for a pilot project.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
3 injured after man with knife enters Montreal-area mosque
Three men were injured after trying to subdue a man armed with a knife during afternoon prayers at a Montreal-area mosque Friday afternoon.
Police arrest 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole Porsche and ran over its owner
Police have arrested an 18-year-old woman who allegedly stole a Porsche and then ran over its owner in an incident that was captured on video.
Woman nearly shut out of mother's estate sues brother in B.C. Supreme Court – and wins
Since she was a young girl growing up in Vancouver, Ginny Lam says her mom Yat Hei Law made it very clear she favoured her son William, because he was her male heir.
Teen arrested in New Brunswick after emergency alert; 5 people in custody
A 15-year-old boy who was the subject of an emergency alert in New Brunswick has been arrested.
Kamala Harris tells Oprah any intruder to her home is 'getting shot'
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris on Thursday issued a warning to any potential home intruder: 'If somebody breaks in my house, they're getting shot.'
On the trail of the mystery woman whose company licensed exploding pagers
What Cristiana Barsony-Arcidiacono, 49, the Italian-Hungarian CEO and owner of Hungary-based BAC Consulting, says she hasn't done is make the exploding pagers that killed 12 people and wounded more than 2,000 in Lebanon this week.
Woman shot by B.C. police was Colombian refugee with young daughter, advocate says
Advocates have identified the woman who died this week after being shot by police in Surrey, B.C., as a South American refugee who was raising a young daughter.
'We're still pushing hard': Search for missing Manitoba boy continues, RCMP find tracks
The search for a missing six-year-old boy in Shamattawa is continuing Friday as RCMP hope recent tips can help lead to a happy conclusion.
Video released of person of interest after cat is allegedly set on fire in Orillia, Ont.
Provincial police investigating the death of a cat that was allegedly set on fire in Orillia earlier this week released surveillance video of a person of interest in the case.