Following is the letter submitted to the Guardian re: Transit Survey
Editor,
The Public Transit Survey that is currently circulating in Charlottetown and connected communities has raised a number of issues among members of the PEI Public Transit Coalition. We are a volunteer Coalition made up of 27 diverse community groups, sharing the common goal of establishing sustainable public transit for all citizens of Charlottetown and across the Island. Certainly, we are encouraged by any increase in public discussion of transit, but our experience working with government officials and the public for over 5 years has made us wary of misguided efforts. The current survey is an example of such a redundant use of resources. Public transit is a necessity and the right thing to do, not a response to consumer demand. The need is established by social demand, environmental and health demands, and demand for equal access to mobility for city residents of all ages.
Further investigation of the need for public transit in Charlottetown is a costly duplication of effort. The City already commissioned a thorough study by ENTRA Consultants, which was published in 2002. This study clearly articulates the need for public transit and provides a practical and innovative implementation plan.
We do not believe the current transit survey will provide reliable results for many reasons:
- It is available on the Internet, where at least two of the initial core user groups, seniors and citizens in a lower economic bracket, may not have access;
- It presupposes that all users will immediately be riding public transit. The reality is that a full system (or systems) has to be established, well advertised, with proper rest stops and maps, and functioning efficiently for at least 6 months to a year before peoplewill catch on and change their routine;
- The wording of some of the questions in the survey has an obvious negative bent, which in at least one case simply is not accurate (“It is estimated that a 15 minute trip by private car will take about 45 minutes using public transit. At this point in time, how interested are you personally in possibly using public transit as an alternate form oftransportation?”)
- Another survey question asked whether respondents would be willing to payhigher property taxes to fund public transit. As already noted, the survey is more likely to reach a larger number of property owners with Internet access and a probableaversion to higher property tax rates than to reach public transit's core user groups, who are less likely to own property on which to pay taxes.
It is the responsibility of all levels of government to set priorities that provide the maximum benefit to citizens, and we must insist that public transit is a high priority. We do not recall being surveyed to determine if we were willing to pay higher property taxes to finance rinks or pool facilities. We charge our municipal government with the work of setting budget priorities, and we affirm to the mayor and all councillors that public transit is our highest priority budget expenditure for the City of Charlottetown for the foreseeable future.
The great news is that studies show that public transit in the City will bring downtown revitalization. As well, pedestrian and automobile traffic will become safer, the physical and mental health of the population will improve, and all these benefits will occur while lessening our burden on the environment.The need for transit is well established, and we encourage the City to begin moving forward on the issue. We would like to renew our offer to share our experience and knowledge in any further discussions of public transit initiated by City Council. Direct consultation with core user groups is the key to establishing a successful public transit system in Charlottetown.
