BACCC asked all municipal candidates for their views on environmentally-friendly transportation options, presenting them with these three questions. Views expressed are solely those of the candidates and do not reflect the views of BACCC or its members. All responses have been reviewed to ensure appropriateness and relevance to the questions posed. We encourage you to make an informed decision by researching your local candidates.
Hamilton Ward 3 Candidate Laura Farr
From the recommendations in BACCC’s Options for Travel report, which would be your top priority to enact to ensure safe, reliable, convenient and equitable transportation options?
My top priority is to improve Hamilton’s transit network, beginning with using the data the HSR already has to reconfigure our existing network to enable people to get to where they need to go efficiently. As a lifelong transit user, we already know that service improvements need to be made and what it will take to make them – now we need a Council that will champion this and encourage more riders to use transit. I will always advocate and work to make our transit system better across the whole city.
If environmentally friendly transportation options are not convenient, residents will be less likely to choose those options over driving.
What steps would you take to ensure environmentally friendly transportation options are convenient?
By reconfiguring the network and investing in the transit system, users would then find that using transit can be an efficient means to get to where they need to go. We can also collaborate with groups like SoBi and Communauto to incentivize discounted bike/car share memberships for monthly pass holders. Hamilton can also enact a more robust subsidized pass for low income earners.
Environmentally friendly transportation needs to be perceived as safe in order to be viewed as a viable option.
What steps would you take to ensure all users feel safe when using all transportation methods?
Brighter stop lighting, family fares and accommodations for family users. In addition, a 311 service that includes an app would assist riders in reporting any issues directly to transit or the police as need be. Future transit surveys should also be able to break out the data to better inform future planning processes as the last few surveys felt more like there was a conclusion that the HSR wanted people to select.
