What are we doing about congestion? Transit is key
A major concern I hear from residents is traffic congestion – and you want to know what the city is doing to address this issue. Residents are also concerned about how population growth will add to the challenges. That’s why one of our major priorities is ensuring that the most population and housing growth is around our GO stations, with easy access to a range of transportation options and amenities like jobs, services, and parks within walking distance so people don’t need to drive for every outing.
It is also clear we can’t simply build our way out of these challenges, as we don’t have urban space to expand roads, and road expansion simply invites more people to drive and adds to congestion. In addition to a number of other measures taken to improve road safety and flow – including synchronizing traffic lights - one of the keys to improving congestion is investing in transit.
Our staff recently reported that over 3 million trips are taken annually on Burlington transit. Imagine the congestion if these were taken by single occupancy vehicles! So our transit is helping to reduce congestion, and we are committed to improving and encouraging more people to ride transit.
The City now offers free transit to children under 12, seniors over 65, and anyone qualifying for the Subsidized Low Income Transit Pass through Halton Region. We also offer free transit for teenagers on the weekend, and in the evenings on weekdays. Offering free transit has been an effective way of getting cars off the road. Our free transit programs promote affordability, mitigate traffic, and create a more sustainable community.
I’m pleased council supported my motion to ask Burlington Transit department to begin the work of implementing two new exciting programs for youth in Burlington:
Monthly Fare Capping for Youth at $38 or 20 Rides
Free Transit for Youth in the Summer Monthly Fare Capping for Youth at $38 or 20 Rides
Starting in the spring of 2025, Burlington Transit will endeavour to implement fare capping for youth ridders. Under this program, youth will pay just $1.90 per ride, but once they’ve taken 20 paid rides in a month, their fares will be capped at no cost for any subsequent rides that month. In other words, once a youth rider reaches their 21st ride, they can ride for free for the rest of the month! For many young people, this could equate to half of the month being fare-free. PRESTO cards would continue to be used throughout the month. The City is aiming to implement this sometime from April to June of 2025.
Possibility of Fare-Free Transit for Youth in July and August (Pilot Program)
The City is also exploring a fare-free transit pilot program for youth during the summer months. City staff will report back to Council in February of 2025 on the feasibility of youth riding Burlington Transit for free throughout the months of July and August. This program would run just like other fare-free programs in the city, where youth will use a PRESTO card to access transit at no cost.
Why These Programs Matter
By implementing monthly fare capping for youth, we are addressing key challenges youth face when it comes to transportation.
As Mayor, I know that the cost of living is a growing concern for Burlington’s families and young people. Offering fare capping will help address these affordability concerns. Whether they’re heading to school, a job, or meeting friends, this will help make public transit a more viable option for our younger residents. In a city as dynamic as Burlington, it’s important that we invest in our future leaders, workers, and creators. Public transit plays a key role in connecting youth to opportunities and helping them develop the independence they need to succeed. It also helps promote formative habits in our youth based in sustainability and environmentalism.
Background
In addition to the rising cost of living, the other key concern I have been hearing from residents is traffic. Because of this, the City of Burlington has been proactively finding solutions to ease congestion and reduce traffic on our roads. The most effective way of improving traffic is to get cars off the road and encouraging drivers to turn to public transit instead. This past summer, the City conducted targeted engagement with residents to ask them for their feedback on the City offering fare-free transit for all riders. The results of this survey indicated a positive response and an overall favourable outlook to the City offering free transit. In general, transit in Burlington is becoming more popular as ridership has grown by 40% since 2019.
Focused Study on Free Transit for All
In addition to surveying residents, the City commissioned a formal study to investigate the feasibility and impact of providing fare-free transit for all riders. The consulting firm Left Turn Right Turn (LTRT) examined various factors including budget impacts, transit service requirements, and socio-economic benefits. Key findings indicated that fare-free transit could significantly increase ridership, align with Burlington’s mobility goals, and promote inclusion. However, it would require substantial funding to support increased demand with a projected operating cost of $43 million annually by 2029. Furthermore, the study found that free transit would pose additional risks such as overcrowding, reliability issues, and considerable degradation to our buses.
Conclusion
The study concluded that better service attracts more new riders than free fare. This is why the City will continue to offer limited forms of free transit to encourage ridership and mitigate traffic concerns. Our focus remains on offering high-quality, efficient, safe, and clean transit for our riders. As Mayor, my vision for the City involves transit as a viable and common means of transportation