Ottawa Family Fun

This is an extension of one of my previous posts: OC Transpo Strike and Ottawa Car Pool information

Ok, so a large number of people out there would be upset if OC Transpo came up with a new form or level of Express bus (I will call it comfort express from now on) that would attract people who currently drive in instead of taking the bus. I know that the paper and coffee were extreme, and I really don’t care about that. If you want a free paper, you can pick up a Metro or Dose at any of the Park-And-Ride locations where you would be getting on the bus. And if you really want a coffee, then make one at home and bring it with you…. fine… I have no problem with comments about these two items.

As for the more comfortable bus service with no standing room, only more comfortable seats and having people pay a premium to use these busses, I really don’t understand why people are so upset! Someone can afford (*or chooses to afford …. how many students own iPods?). Yes, some people may not want to spend the $ on the comfort express and they are quite happy with the service as it stands today. GREAT!

This is just an idea to get more people using public transit. Getting more people off of the road and thus helping Ottawa’s traffic situation during the rush-hour(s) to improve.

The biggest thing that I cannot understand is why people are so upset at this idea since the bus would earn more in fares (and thus more money into the Transit System) than an Express bus.

Here are the numbers for just 1 bus route.

Express Bus:
Accomodates 70 Passholders (approx). = 70 * $ 87.00 = $6090 in fares a month.

Comfort Express Bus:
Accomodates 50 Passholders (approx). = 50 * $ 150.00 = $7500 in fares a month.

So the Comfort Express Bus would generate $1410 more per route than the current Express Bus. That is a substantial amount of $$$ added to the transit system to help pay to improve all services (without increasing taxes too much more)… did I happen to mention that those people (not me!) living in larger homes pay more in taxes too!?

I am not someone to be jealous of what other people can afford and have. I like to say, “Good for them, they figured out how to get ahead with all of the obstacles and taxes designed to keep us all from having more than our neighbours.” GOOD FOR THEM! Not ” Boo Hoo… poor me…I can’t afford the bigger house, car and widgets that buddy has.”

I have no problem with others having more than me. If my neighbour wins the lottery, I will be truly happy for them! But, back to the bus system thing.

I guess, I want a solution that will work until light rail is in place. If the ride downtown was only 15 - 20 minutes, then I would have no problem standing on the way in. It is when you are looking at a 45 minute commute because there are spots on the Queensway that are backed up with too much traffic and the busses have no way around…. not to mention emergency vehicles …

Do I want OC to drop all kinds of tax dollars into adding more lanes to the Queensway (loads of $$$). NO! I am asking to PAY for a comfortable ride in that I can enjoy while we wait in traffic. PLUS, adding a possibility that just maybe it would attract several of those people not on the bus now (in my opinion, a high probability) who don’t take the bus for the same reasons I describe.

Light rail is probably the solution I am looking for, but it is years away and there are several bumps in the road before we get there. This is a solution that could be put into place in a relatively short time frame, would increase the $$$ coming into OC Transpo, reduce traffic (thus helping the environment and cutting down on our greenhouse gas emissions), and improve our bus system even more…. just because it is good now doesn’t mean you have to stop improving it with new ideas!

Would those of you who are upset with my idea be upset with people if they rode to work on a Private system? Would you be opposed to them paying a fee to the city to use OC Transpo infrastructure (like the transitway)… I don’t think this would work due to insurance and safety reasons.

Would those of you have expressed that you would be upset over OC Transpo providing these services be just as upset if a private company could do it? If not, why? If so, why? I would really like to see some solid reasons to WHY people would be upset over this service?

Is it because others should not be given the option to pay more for better service? Why is this such an issue? I am not suggesting that the current service levels be reduced?

Is there a financial reason that I am missing? The Comfort Express busses would make more in fares than the current Express busses. Why would there be a huge cost issue to supply the service?

Please, I really do want to know why why why people are so upset. From the comments I have recieved so far, the only reason I have come to is that most people do not like seeing others have something they don’t… Please prove me wrong.

I only wish I could get the same level of feedback regarding what this site is intended to do: give people ideas and activity ideas to do as a family in Ottawa! If you have any good ideas, please feel free to submit those too!

Check this out: A service in Atlanta. And please don’t say, well Atlanta is so much bigger than Ottawa. It only depends on the people willing to use the service.
http://www.xpressga.com/guaranteed_ride_home.htm

This is an extension of one of my previous posts: OC Transpo Strike and Ottawa Car Pool information

Ok, so a large number of people out there would be upset if OC Transpo came up with a new form or level of Express bus (I will call it comfort express from now on) that would attract people who currently drive in instead of taking the bus. I know that the paper and coffee were extreme, and I really don’t care about that. If you want a free paper, you can pick up a Metro or Dose at any of the Park-And-Ride locations where you would be getting on the bus. And if you really want a coffee, then make one at home and bring it with you…. fine… I have no problem with comments about these two items.

As for the more comfortable bus service with no standing room, only more comfortable seats and having people pay a premium to use these busses, I really don’t understand why people are so upset! Someone can afford (*or chooses to afford …. how many students own iPods?). Yes, some people may not want to spend the $ on the comfort express and they are quite happy with the service as it stands today. GREAT!

This is just an idea to get more people using public transit. Getting more people off of the road and thus helping Ottawa’s traffic situation during the rush-hour(s) to improve.

The biggest thing that I cannot understand is why people are so upset at this idea since the bus would earn more in fares (and thus more money into the Transit System) than an Express bus.

Here are the numbers for just 1 bus route.

Express Bus:
Accomodates 70 Passholders (approx). = 70 * $ 87.00 = $6090 in fares a month.

Comfort Express Bus:
Accomodates 50 Passholders (approx). = 50 * $ 150.00 = $7500 in fares a month.

So the Comfort Express Bus would generate $1410 more per route than the current Express Bus. That is a substantial amount of $$$ added to the transit system to help pay to improve all services (without increasing taxes too much more)… did I happen to mention that those people (not me!) living in larger homes pay more in taxes too!?

I am not someone to be jealous of what other people can afford and have. I like to say, “Good for them, they figured out how to get ahead with all of the obstacles and taxes designed to keep us all from having more than our neighbours.” GOOD FOR THEM! Not ” Boo Hoo… poor me…I can’t afford the bigger house, car and widgets that buddy has.”

I have no problem with others having more than me. If my neighbour wins the lottery, I will be truly happy for them! But, back to the bus system thing.

I guess, I want a solution that will work until light rail is in place. If the ride downtown was only 15 - 20 minutes, then I would have no problem standing on the way in. It is when you are looking at a 45 minute commute because there are spots on the Queensway that are backed up with too much traffic and the busses have no way around…. not to mention emergency vehicles …

Do I want OC to drop all kinds of tax dollars into adding more lanes to the Queensway (loads of $$$). NO! I am asking to PAY for a comfortable ride in that I can enjoy while we wait in traffic. PLUS, adding a possibility that just maybe it would attract several of those people not on the bus now (in my opinion, a high probability) who don’t take the bus for the same reasons I describe.

Light rail is probably the solution I am looking for, but it is years away and there are several bumps in the road before we get there. This is a solution that could be put into place in a relatively short time frame, would increase the $$$ coming into OC Transpo, reduce traffic (thus helping the environment and cutting down on our greenhouse gas emissions), and improve our bus system even more…. just because it is good now doesn’t mean you have to stop improving it with new ideas!

Would those of you who are upset with my idea be upset with people if they rode to work on a Private system? Would you be opposed to them paying a fee to the city to use OC Transpo infrastructure (like the transitway)… I don’t think this would work due to insurance and safety reasons.

Would those of you have expressed that you would be upset over OC Transpo providing these services be just as upset if a private company could do it? If not, why? If so, why? I would really like to see some solid reasons to WHY people would be upset over this service?

Is it because others should not be given the option to pay more for better service? Why is this such an issue? I am not suggesting that the current service levels be reduced?

Is there a financial reason that I am missing? The Comfort Express busses would make more in fares than the current Express busses. Why would there be a huge cost issue to supply the service?

Please, I really do want to know why why why people are so upset. From the comments I have recieved so far, the only reason I have come to is that most people do not like seeing others have something they don’t… Please prove me wrong.

I only wish I could get the same level of feedback regarding what this site is intended to do: give people ideas and activity ideas to do as a family in Ottawa! If you have any good ideas, please feel free to submit those too!

Check this out: A service in Atlanta. And please don’t say, well Atlanta is so much bigger than Ottawa. It only depends on the people willing to use the service.
http://www.xpressga.com/guaranteed_ride_home.htm