Nate Hope was in attendance when the Environment, Transportation, Public Safety Committee met to discuss plans to wind down the tunnel bus and special events bus service.
“We went hoping that, you know, we could have a good conversation about what users needs are,” said the organizer of Active Transit Windsor Essex.
He says he wasn’t happy with the recommendation with city’s recommendation to terminate tunnel bus service August 31; “Take it to the end of the year. People use this service.”
Peter Landsbergen did just that on Thursday afternoon. He hopped the bus to Detroit on his way back home to San Jose California from London, Ont. He is making the same trip one more time later this year.
“I’m gonna have to figure out a different way. I’m assuming I’m going to pay a higher price because this is pretty inexpensive. It’s real reasonable,” Landsbergen told CTV News.
Councillor Kieran McKenzie has been very vocal in his opposition to the termination of the tunnel bus, and feels the service should run for as long as the special events bus does. That service is scheduled to end December 20.
“The gain that we do get, the one positive note is that we gain one additional bus that we can fold back into the regular service,” McKenzie said.
Councillor Renaldo Agostino, who brought the termination motion forward, agreed. “Administration thought it was a good idea and the rest of the board members thought it was a good idea so I’m glad it went through because, for me, it’s really making the best out of a bad situation.”
The Environment, Transportation, Public Safety Standing Committee recommended the additional bus be used to ease challenges from the elimination of the school bus extras program.
“In my mind we could still do both,” McKenzie suggested.
He says the city is getting new buses this year that could help keep the tunnel bus going until the end of the year while helping to fill the gaps in regular service in the areas where the school bus extra program ran.
“It’s my understanding that those busses are going to be directed primarily to help the areas that are going to be impacted by those service eliminations.”
The recommendations will go to council some time in April for final approval.
