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 6 Candidate Donna Puddu
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?
Improve the frequency of public transit routes, with more consistently timed service. We need to ensure people are able to get to and from work, and around our City in a easy, timely manner, the current system is timely and not consistent.
Review arrival schedules for public transit buses for better alignment with GO train services. We also need to improve Go train service that aligns with the needs of commuters. No one wants to spend hours going back and forth to work, creating a timely convenient mode of travel will not only assist in reducing carbon emissions, it will improve quality of life.
Ensure all public transit staff complete diversity and anti-bias training, along with examining safety for all riders, and bus stop locations. Everyone should feel and be safe on public transit.
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?
We need to examine the inequities. what needs are not being met? Conversations with community members is needed to have a complete understanding of the shortfalls. I have heard from residence in ward 6, the common complaint is, it just takes to long to get where they want to go. The cost related to increasing transit is considerable, increasing ridership is paramount to offset the costs, more needs to be done then making transit more convenient, we need to engage the community to want to take public transit.
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?
To ensure riders feel safe, we need to understand what is making them feel unsafe, a comprehensive examination, with community engagement of our system, needs to be performed.
