Aug 13, 2014
Burlington residents lobby for buses to be removed from street
Burlington Transit inviting public feedback to find solution
Burlington residents lobby for buses to be removed from street
By
Tina Depko-Denver
A group of residents from Headon Forest
Drive is continuing to lobby the city to remove Burlington Transit buses
from a portion of the street.
Residents living on the 500-metre stretch immediately north of Upper
Middle Road saw routes 6 and 52 buses start driving past their homes as a
result of the Nov. 2013 transit changes.
They were not consulted about the buses before the service change and want them gone.
“It’s like an invasion of privacy,” said
Kathy Murdoch, who lives across the street from the new bus stop. “It’s
like your whole street has been invaded with buses and people that
normally wouldn’t come up here.”
Mike Spicer, the city’s transit director,
said Burlington Transit staff dropped the ball on resident notification.
“It wasn’t that we purposely didn’t want to
inform them, it’s just that we didn’t inform them like we did with other
residents,” he said. “We missed this portion of Headon Forest Drive and
I take full responsibility for that.”
Burlington Transit staff is currently
reviewing possible rerouting and mitigation options for the 500m portion
of Headon Forest Drive.
Staff is also studying the overall performance and impact of routes 6 and 52.
As part of the research, Burlington Transit
is asking for input from riders, as well as residents living in the
areas impacted by the routes.
Spicer said local school boards will be
asked for input this September, as well as university students and
commuters using public transit to access the Hwy. 407 carpool lot.
Open houses presenting options and inviting
further feedback around the two routes are set for Tuesday, Oct. 21 and
Thursday, Oct 23 from 6-9 p.m. at Tansley Woods Community Centre. There
is no set timeline at this point for any possible changes after those
meetings.
“We’re looking at frequencies, smaller
buses, alternative routes at other area streets and the late-night
service to see if it is more viable,” said Spicer.
Mary Brownrigg, who also lives on the 500-m
stretch of road, says residents have many concerns, among which are
pedestrian safety, noise, pollution, decreased quality of life and loss
of property value. She said it is unacceptable to see 60 buses a day
that run from 6-1:30 a.m.
She is also disappointed a change has not
yet been made, as residents have been talking to city staff and members
of council about the issue since last November.
“We just assumed that because it’s for us so
black and white, empty buses going up a residential street, that they
could revert back to the original route without any issue at all,”
Brownrigg said.
City council voted 6-1 not to remove the
buses from Headon Forest Drive at a meeting in June. Councillors
subsequently directed transit staff to consult the public and come up
with a solution.
Ward 6 Councillor Blair Lancaster said there
isn’t a simple answer, noting there are residents on Pinemeadow Drive,
which the previous route 6 accessed, and Upland Drive who don’t want the
buses moved onto their streets.
“It’s always difficult with transit because
we have to put transit on roads and it is needed in the community, but
on the other hand, when a bus goes by your house, there’s an impact to
the residents, too,” she said.
Transit rider Monika Rourke, 69, has taken
the bus to the shopping plazas north and south of Upper Middle Road at
Guelph Line several times a week for 20 years.
She says last November’s route change has
meant she has to walk from the last stop on Upper Middle Road at Headon
Forest Drive to her grocery store and bank in the plazas.
She would like the number 6 bus restored to
its former route so there are once again stops at Guelph Line and Upper
Middle Road.
“It’s not nice anymore,” Rourke said. “My
bus ticket only lasts so long, so I lose all the time walking. Some
women (riders), I don’t see them anymore, because the bus doesn’t go to
the mall anymore.”
Meanwhile, a decision whether to relocate
the two bus stops on the portion of Headon Forest Drive between
Pinemeadow Drive and Upper Middle Road is expected from Burlington
Transit by the end of this week.
Comments on routes 6 and 52 can be emailed to Burlington Transit at contactbt@burlington.ca with the subject: Headon Forest transit options.
(18) Comments
PS - Mary Brownrigg - Your driveway
repairs that took 2 weeks caused for 5 huge trucks to be parked on both
sides of the street. You caused so much traffic and made me have to
leave 20 minutes early EACH DAY to take my child to daycare. Did any of
us complain to you? No. We supported you and what you felt you needed to
do to your home. This doesn't even begin to describe the noise, the
dust or the smell of this work being completed. I am one of your
neighbours, and I am disgusted to say I live in this neighbourhood with
these snobs. The majority of residents are not like this, and we're
really embarrassed about this article.
It’s like an invasion of privacy ... bunch of snobs
Invasion of privacy???? Last time I
checked, roads were for the public to use and are paid for by all
taxpayers. This is NIMBYism at its worst. These people are completely
out to lunch if they think they will get any sympathy.
NOT IN MY BACKYARD!
These residents living on the 500
metre stretch of Headon Forest Drive need to give their head a shake!
They're living on a collector roadway which in turn makes sense to have a
bus route. And what 'invasion of privacy' is taking place? Are people
walking on their lawn to peep through their windows?
I hope councillors and other residents stick to their guns and keep the
route just as it is :-)
I can't believe the picture either.
Smiling like they are posing for a charity benefit or something. They
have no idea what a load of trouble they have brought upon themselves in
the court of Public Opinion.
"....people that normally wouldn’t
come up here.” Those evil, bus taking people. This article makes me
ashamed to be a Burlingtonian.
No sooner did Councillor Sharman get
elected and the buses were off Spruce Av in front of his house. Get him
to move there and they'll be gone.
hey people you have neighbours up the
road who are going through hell right now and you want to waist your
time on buses? go help the people who have been flooded out and then
I'll listen sheesh!
how dare these bus people invade their
street, this is Burlington after all who takes buses? our health is at
jeopardy, how will face our friends, family , the children are ashamed
to say where they live have we become the have nots of Burlington ..
shame use to be a good neighborhood destroyed
Burlington used to be nice, people
were friendly, until sad sacks like these bought here? Why don't you
move we're sick & tired of complainers & BIMBYS.
Is this seriously one of the the most
important things happening ??? REALLY?????? I can't believe you sent a
reporter for this :(
I hope they change the air traffic
routes so that planes start going over their houses too so that they
have more to complain about.
Ah, the worries of the Privileged.
Look, if you wanted to live in a private neighbourhood, put up a for
sale sign and buy your mansion elsewhere.
This is just NIMBY bullshit about a
bus route that has been in place for years now. Most of the "reasons"
are pathetic. I wouldn't be surprise that somewhere behind this lobby
group is one of the city counsellors who have been on the record saying
that the city doesn't need a transit system at all. If anything the
city needs to improve on transit not give the dismal service that they
have been providing year after year.
I don't know what's more pathetic; the
people complaining or the reporter who actually thought this was
newsworthy. Looks like someone got their 5 minutes of fame and will face
much more scrutiny than they bargained for. Hope you enjoy it :)
I didn't realize the Burlington "Whine" Festival was on...
"Invaded"? "People that wouldn't
normally come up here"? Are we talking about aliens landing or people
getting around using transit? While I agree it doesn't make much sense
to have all the buses routed off the main arterial roads that have the
destinations people travel to/from, these types of comments reflect very
negatively on the community.
