Establish a Barrie Transit Advisory Committee
Barrie Riders urges Barrie City Council to establish a Barrie Transit Advisory Committee (BTAC) to enhance community engagement and improve our transit services. Currently, Barrie stands out as one of the few larger municipalities in Ontario without a dedicated advisory committee for its transit system, despite having an Active Transportation and Sustainability Advisory Committee. Especially given the recent concerns regarding the New Transit Network and more specifically, Transit On-Demand, riders must be at the table informing Council on Barrie’s transit system.
At least 16 Ontario municipalities, including Toronto, Guelph, Windsor, Peterborough, and Orillia, have successfully implemented transit advisory committees. These committees incorporate resident and stakeholder group participation and have the support of subject matter experts and staff. These committees allow communities to have a meaningful voice in transit planning and operations, ensuring that the needs of all residents are addressed.
Importance of a Transit Advisory Committee:
Enhanced Community Engagement: BTAC would serve as a forum for transit riders and stakeholders to share their experiences, concerns, and suggestions directly with city officials, fostering a collaborative approach to transit planning.
Feedback Mechanism: Given the recent significant changes to on-demand transit services in Barrie, there is an urgent need for consistent and effective channels for transit-rider feedback. BTAC would enable the city to gather valuable insights and address challenges proactively.
Collaboration and Representation: Transit riders deserve a seat at the table. By including diverse perspectives, including those from accessibility advocates and various demographic groups, BTAC can help shape strong, rider-led recommendations for city staff and council.
Alignment with Best Practices: The establishment of BTAC would align Barrie with numerous other municipalities that prioritize community input in transit decision-making. This would not only improve local transit services but also demonstrate the city’s commitment to transparency and inclusivity.
Alignment with Barrie's 2022-2026 Strategic Plan: read more in attachment.
Brandon Rhéal Amyot
shared this idea
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Benn Craig commented
This management sucks, worst in north america. There are people working here who gives a zero fs. We need this asap. Tell your friends and family to vote. Thanks
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Brenda Lynch
commented
The BACTS service our family uses had many issues - ie. the scheduling of routes and pick-up is poorly done; the drivers take routes that are lacking efficiency; the online vs call-in bookings discriminate and aren't fair/equal - I could go on. There is good to the service too but it would be nice to have a better focus, evaluation, and assessments of how things could be improved.
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Chris Sheridan
commented
The ridership has been complaining for ages. It's not our job to fix the issues. That's what city hall gets paid to do. I miss Mayor Lehman, who would ride the bus to see if changes were good for the riders. Nuttall doesn't care about those who ride the bus, only keeping the cost down for the tax payer... Conservative jerk!
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Meredith Kerrigan
commented
You know, things do not change unless there are examples of things that need to change, what the issue is and if possible, prepare to submit a positive suggestion to improve it. Get a long list together. If change is expected, then support it. If things are too general in nature, all that will happen is you will be asked to create a long list to submit SO start now with your long list of viable suggestions. Use time and energy in the best way possible. People cannot generally read minds. Contribute with the work if one wants to see change or nothing will change for the better.
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United Ameri-Can Express Logistics Inc. commented
Together we stronger
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harji gill commented
Barrie Transit needs a Committee
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gill singh commented
Everything needs to be fixed.
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Cory Hutter commented
This new system does NOT meet the needs properly of the people who take and rely on it. Bus drivers are rude. They do whatever they want, system is rarely on time and not enough routes and timely service
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Matthew Sibbick commented
Fix all bus routes bus the bus
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Matthew Sibbick commented
More bus on router .
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Meredith Kerrigan
commented
2 years of recommending remedies continue to fall on DEAF ears
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Mariam Mueen
commented
Yes yes yes! This is so important! The folks who run the buses are higher earning government officials who drive everywhere, and don't take the bus at all.
It is so frustrating that it takes 45 minutes to go from my neighbourhood to the painswich library, when it takes about 55 minutes to walk there. There are many underserved areas of the city, and the buses don't run nearly often enough or have enough lines.
People say ridership is too low for better routes, but ridership will only increase if the routes get BETTER. Not the other way around.
Routes like the Highway 400 route, which connect areas that otherwise don't have connections via public transit, are so needed, and so useful. Amazing idea.
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Tyler Gerrard commented
I live at younge and Mapleview. Your transit app is saying it will take 56 mins to get to Anne and Cundles. Google maps says the same and it also says I can ride my pedal bike to Minesing in the same amount of time!!! Absolutely pathetic!!
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Arne Larsen
commented
City staff have zero staff that have ever worked in Transit, and sit behind a desk making decisions that impact residents and Transit staff in a negative way. Sadly, any input they receive appears to to be ignored.
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The entire on demand system is a joke, they just added a zone that is literally two blocks. How does that help anyone but the person sitting in a bus all day not driving it because nobody has any use for a bus that will only take you one block further from where you want to go. Wake up Barrie and design a proper system or just cancel all together and use uber like Innisfil
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carrie dixon commented
A transit advisory committee could give a voice to the people, when we don't currently have one! How many of these people making decisions are regular users of the bus system? With the recent changes, I'm guessing not many, if at all.
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Marietta
commented
Important!
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K
commented
so important
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Cris
commented
This city is catering to only 2 specific groups and the seniors and low income are not the groups they think of, if they did Saturday service would start so much earlier so people could get to work for 7am minimum.
Barrie is only car car-centric because they want big city transit but don’t invest in it, it never should have been changed up in 2013 they should have just added to the existing system.
With constant changes people give up on the system because each change the system becomes less convenient (combining routes 1 & 3 last year was a big mistake, ridership has gone down in both areas these routes are covering and having one busy trip is not considered having ridership in my opinion -
Gwen
commented
Critical