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 4 Candidate Tammy Hwang
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?
Even prior to reading the Options for Travel Report, I’m already hearing about the very first point in the list of Transit Recommendations: Improve the frequency of public transit routes, with more consistently timed service.
Neighbours and residents at the door have shared that they would consider public transit as an option if the routes were more timely and consistent. Many have been deterred from choosing HSR because they are unsure of its efficiency and reliability.
It’s also crucial to have adequate rest options at bus stops and plan for timely snow removal during the winter time. Studies have shown that people who rely on transit are the working class, and often, in communities that are underserved. Other than keeping the cost of transit affordable, timely service, coupled with adequate maintenance of transit areas, are important to provide equitable transportation options for all.
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?
Residents are more likely to choose environmentally friendly options if streets are safe and accessible streets, adequate bus shelters are provided in key areas, and protected bike lanes are set up properly on the streets. As a councillor, I will advocate for snow clearing on city sidewalks during winter time, strategic locations for bus stops and shelters, and protected bike lanes to ensure that our community is encouraged to use environmentally friendly transit options. This also means maintaining sidewalks, covered bus shelters, and bike lanes in the summer months to ensure that our community is able to navigate and use these options year round.
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?
Mandatory diversity and non-bias training for all bus operators is listed as a key action item in the report. I’d like to expand on that and ensure that any frontline worker interacting with the public will also undergo mandatory diversity and non-bias training.
I also support the recommendation to do a safety audit on all bus areas to ensure that we have safe environments for our community. I will also couple this with a full communication plan to share with our community the safety measures that have been undertaken to encourage our community to get out and use these environmentally friendly options as alternatives to driving a personal vehicle.
