news

 

GreenTrans now has a blog! For our latest GreenTrans updates, go to greentrans.blogspot.com.

Happy New Year from GreenTrans!

2009 should be an interesting year for transit in Oakville, aside from fare increases.

  • GO Transit will be completing their third track early in 2009, and increasing the frequency of the Lakeshore GO trains shortly thereafter.
  • In September, Oakville Transit will be introducing the new modified grid service, with more crosstown routes and not as much dependence on the Oakville GO station. While this won't increase frequency on existing routes, it lays the groundwork for signficant improvements in future.
  • Also in September, the Presto fare card will be introduced on a limited basis in Oakville. (Full implementation in Oakville is scheduled for 2010.)
  • The new transit facility on Wyecroft Road is being designed in 2009, with the land purchase having been completed late in 2008. The new facility will provide room for future bus needs for many years, whereas buses are stacked almost on top of each other in the current facility.

2008 saw the introduction of GO bus service between Oakville and Milton (from the Bronte GO station) as well as frequent Oakville Transit service to the new RioCan Centre on Burloak Drive. Bike lanes are appearing around town and are now a normal consideration in road construction and reconstruction projects.

Issues that we have to watch for in 2009 include:

  • Oakville’s 10 year capital forecast, to be undertaken in January 2009, will determine the timing of construction of the new transit facility as well as future bus purchases and road and other infrastructure projects.
  • Oakville’s Active Transportation Master Plan, begun late in 2008, will also be a significant undertaking in 2009, with expected increased focus on walking and cycling infrastructure.
  • Oakville Transit has provided for a potential fare increase in September 2009 to coincide with the new service design. The fares associated with this increase have not been discussed. Councillors have suggested that this fare increase might not be applied.

Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year!



sixth line passageway

Finally! The passageway under the QEW at Sixth Line was plowed last night and is now accessible. The barricades are gone. The Town will consider the passageway open on Monday morning, December 24, 2007, after an electrical issue with the lighting is sorted out.

Because the Town office is closed now for the holidays, no official announcement will happen until the new year. But we think the word should get out as soon as possible. So here's what we've come up with.
1. It would be great if someone who uses the underpass regularly could write a letter to the Beaver.
2. We are arranging a photo op with the Beaver. If you are able, please meet on the north side of the passageway, at the south end of Sixth Line, at 11:30 a.m. on Monday, December 24. Bring your family! The more the merrier. It won't take long, and it'll be a nice little holiday outing.

 

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OAKVILLE TRANSPORTATION MASTER PLAN

The deadline for comments on the Transportation Master Plan is Friday, June 15. The complete set of documents can be viewed at www.oakville.ca/bpo-tmp.htm or click here for final report. Comments should be sent to Dave Bloomer, Commissioner, Infrastructure & Transportation Services at dbloomer@oakville.ca.

 

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niagara to GTA corridor

The first round of Public Information Centres has just been announced. Locally, the only meeting is on Monday, June 18 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at the Holiday Inn Burlington, 3063 South Service Road, Burlington. This will be drop-in format. The focus is an overview of conditions and trends, the draft Study Plan, and the consultation plan. Applications will be accepted to be part of the Community Advisory Group. For further information, visit www.niagara-gta.com.

 

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cornwall road – chartwell to morrison

This study has been completed. The Town intends to widen Cornwall Road to a four lane divided roadway with mulit-use paths on both sides. Copies of the report are available at the Town's Engineering & Construction Department and at the Central Branch of the Oakville Public Library. Written concerns must be submitted to ezutis@oakville.ca by Thursday, June 7.
www.oakville.ca/ea-cornwall.htm

 

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CLOSING PUBLIC WALKWAY(S?)

In a disappointing move, Oakville Town Council voted to close a public walkway in northeast Oakville. Apparently this path is so close to the high school and so constantly used by teenagers that no neighbours use it and no amount of security can solve the problem. Obviously, closing the walkway will just make the problem move elsewhere. Although a delegation to Council was made by GreenTrans, all the discussion and decision making had taken place prior to the Council meeting, presumably at the previous week’s Community Services Committee meeting. All Councillors except Keith Bird voted to support the petition to close the walkway and sell the land to the abutting landowners. Another resident attending the meeting shared afterwards that he is in a similar situation and will be moving forward with a petition to close the walkway by his house...

 

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RESIDENTIAL INTENSIFICATION IN OAKVILLE

Council is proposing an interim policy regarding intensification until the Official Plan review is complete. Essentially, the plan says:

  • Midtown Oakville, the Uptown Core, and Palermo are OK for high density residential.
  • Bronte Village, Kerr Street, and downtown Oakville are OK for residential intensification within the current Official Plan guidelines.
  • No residential intensification in the rest of Oakville.

This proposal will come before Planning & Development Council on Monday, June 11 at 7:00 p.m. in Council Chambers. Click here for meeting notice.

 

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DISCOUNTED OAKVILLE TRANSIT FARES

Oakville Transit is in talks with Sheridan College regarding the possible introduction of a U-Pass, and is also in talks with the Halton District School Board regarding the use of the Student Freedom Pass for students engaged in extra-curricular activities. Both plans would guarantee a certain income to Oakville Transit that could help with expanding transit routes.

 

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previous update items

OAKVILLE COMMUNITY SERVICES COMMITTEE

May 5, 2007

There are a number of items on this week’s agenda that are of interest. Meeting Tuesday, May 8 at 7:30 p.m. in Council Chambers at Town Hall. Items of interest are:

  • Pedestrian Crosswalk Conversion Program — Staff is recommending conversion of all pedestrian crosswalks (overhead yellow bars) to a signalized system over the next five years. This will mean some fully signalized intersections and some intersections with signalization for pedestrians. The intent is to increase safety and clarity. Click here for details.
  • Public Walkways between houses — There is a petition to close a public walkway in northeast Oakville. Staff are recommending that all public walkways should remain open as a transportation option, but that lighting and security cameras be used if necessary. Click here for details.
  • Intersection Improvements — Kerr⁄Speers and Iroquois Shore⁄Trafalgar
    Staff are recommending new right turn lanes on Kerr northbound at Speers and on Iroquois Shore westbound at Trafalgar. Click here for details.
  • Physical Traffic Calming Measures — Staff are recommending that more intrusive traffic calming measures be retrofit in some of the existing traffic calming locations. The preferred option is speed cushions, which are partial speed humps. The effect would be to slow down the general public while allowing emergency response and transit vehicles to straddle the humps. They are made of rubber and are removed in winter to enable snow clearing. Other changes are recommended for Rebecca and Lakeshore. Click here for details.
  • To speak to any of the above issues, email the Clerk’s Department at lmorgan@oakville.ca. The full agenda is available at www.oakville.ca/csca07may.htm.


    SMART COMMUTE

    May 5, 2007

    Smart Commute is not just carpooling. It’s providing the support to enable people to make the commuting choices that are right for them. At our May GreenTrans meeting, we had a presentation on Smart Commute by Melissa Green-Battiston, Transportation Planner with Halton Region, with input from Cindy Toth, Director of Environmental Policy with the Town of Oakville.

    Looking for a carpool? Smart Commute has a website set up for ride matching for the general public as well as participating employers. Visit www.carpoolzone.smartcommute.ca.


    OAKVILLE TRANSIT SERVICE REVIEW

    April 12, 2007

    Members of GreenTrans have been participating in the public input process. A group of 15–20 Oakville residents attended a meeting earlier this week, took out markers, and totally redrew the Oakville Transit map to reflect the switch to a grid system. Support for a basic grid structure was unanimous. The study team is now going away and will come back with recommendations later in May or early June.


    OAKVILLE GAS TAX MONEY

    April 4, 2007

    Last Friday, the Town of Oakville received $1.2 million in federal gas tax funding for transit.


    STUDENT FREEDOM PASS

    March 29, 2007

    In March, Oakville Transit introduced the Student Freedom Pass. The pass is valid for students aged 6-18 for weekday evenings after 5:00 p.m. and all day on weekends, and costs only $10/month. April passes now on sale. Visit www.oakvilletransit.ca for more information.


    TOWN OF OAKVILLE 2007 BUDGET

    March 29, 2007

    Council approved the budget as recommended, including a 3.33% increase, without discussion. New money for transit was included for the following:

    • addition of Sunday Care-a-Van service (legislated)
    • addition of 2 Late Night Service buses to existing 2 in order to cover all areas of town (meeting 12:25 a.m. and 1:25 a.m. GO trains)
    • extension of Route 13 into new Richview area of northwest Oakville (Monday to Friday)
    • additional maintenance and other full-time staff
    • increase in marketing budget, taken from gas tax subsidy

    For other information, visit www.oakville.ca/2007budget.htm.


    TOWN OF OAKVILLE PARKING RATES, ROAD CORRIDOR RATES

    March 10, 2007

    These two items will be coming before Community Services Committee on March 20, 2007. For information on proposed parking rates, go to www.oakville.ca/pn-07feb09_1.htm. For information on proposed road corridor rates (for special events, etc.) go to www.oakville.ca/pn-07feb09.htm.


    HALTON REGION STRATEGIC PLAN

    March 8, 2007

    Community Open Houses are being held March 19-22 to review Regional Council's 2007-2010 Strategic Plan draft themes and goals. For more information and schedule, visit www.halton.ca/about/strategicplan.


    GREENTRANS WEBSITE

    March 8, 2007

    Our Current Issues page and Links page have been significantly updated and expanded. Please check them out. If you would like to see other issues included, or would like to rewrite some sections, please email info@greentrans.org.


    BURLINGTON NEWS

    February 16, 2007

    Burlington Community and Corporate Services Committee has approved the establishment of a Burlington Transit Advisory Committee. This will go to Council on February 26.


    TTC TOKENS

    January 22, 2007

    The silver-coloured tokens are no longer valid after January 31, 2007. They may be exchanged for new tokens at specified locations in Toronto. For information, visit www.toronto.ca/ttc/new_token.htm.


    WINTER CYCLING

    January 22, 2007

    For helpful tips on winter cycling, visit Go For Green at www.goforgreen.ca/PDF/WinterCycling.pdf.


    OAKVILLE TRANSIT TIMED TRANSFERS

    December 30, 2006

    Effective January 1, 2007, Oakville Transit's transfers will be valid for 2 hours on any bus in any direction. This will allow people to go and return from short trips only paying one fare. The transfer is time stamped at the start of the route and is valid for two hours from that time. Thank you, Oakville Transit!


    OAKVILLE TRANSIT YOUTH RIDERSHIP

    December 14, 2006

    Following on the ridership increase of 23,823 over the duration of the summer "Kids Ride Free" program, Oakville Transit has been studying retention of those riders into the fall by comparing 2006 ridership with 2005. Good news! There was an increase of 15% in September and 17% in October over the same months in 2005.


    CYCLING CALENDARS FOR SALE

    December 14, 2006

    "Cycle & Recycle 2007" is on sale at Grassroots, 408 Bloor St. W. or 372 Danforth in Toronto. Or you can order one (or more) by mail by sending a cheque for $15 Cdn plus $2 postage to:
    Tooker Gomberg Activist Fund
    92 Manor Drive, Sherwood Park
    Alberta, Canada T8A 2J1

    The "Cycle & Recycle" calendar is co-published annually by the International Bicycle Fund and 17 other bicycle organizations from around the world. Proceeds support bicycling. Buy a supply today!


    URBAN TRANSPORTATION EMISSIONS CALCULATOR

    December 6, 2006

    A new Transport Canada announcement. "The Urban Transportation Emissions Calculator is a simple and user-friendly tool that demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to work with cities to protect the environment," said Minister Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. "This tool helps cities reduce greenhouse gases and protect the health of Canadians." For information, visit www.tc.gc.ca/UTEC.


    GO Transit Third Track - Port Credit to Kerr Street

    May 17, 2006

    The Environmental Study Report (ESR) is being filed and will be available for public review from May 16 to June 29. Proposed improvements include constructing a new track along the north side of the existing tracks from Port Credit GO Station to approximately 800 m west of Royal Windsor Drive. At this point, all three tracks will run along the south side of Oakville Yard, then switch back to the north side between Chartwell Road and Trafalgar Road. The new track will run along the north side of the existing tracks from Trafalgar Road to west of Kerr Street where it will join the existing three-track section.

    Other proposed improvements include:

    • Widening the Credit River, Joshua Creek, and the Sixteen Mile Creek bridges to accommodate the third track to the north of the existing two tracks
    • Widening the Lorne Park Road, Clarkson Road, and Kerr Street at-grade road crossings to the north side of the existing two tracks
    • Constructing new rail-over-road crossings at Mississauga Road and Southdown Road to accommodate the third track to the north of the existing two tracks
    • Extending four culverts to the north. At other culvert locations, retaining walls will be placed at the top of the slope to maintain existing grading and protect mature trees.

    Town of Oakville Budget

    March 28, 2006

    On Monday, March 27, 2006, Oakville Council approved the budget for 2006. Unfortunately, transit fare increases were approved by a narrow margin. The actual form of the increases still needs to be decided. On the positive side, the following transit initiatives were approved last night without discussion:

    • free transit to children age 14 and under all summer
    • transit service on holidays
    • some fixed route service on Sundays to augment the Zone Express service
    • bike racks on the front of buses
    • new/expanded service in some of the newer areas (Lakeshore Woods, Upper Glen Abbey west and West Oak Trails). This includes expanded service to the Bronte GO station.

    As most of these items are being funded from the gas tax, there is little effect on the budget.


    Town of Oakville Parks, Recreation, Culture and Library Master Plan

    March 28, 2006

    Public consultations were held Tuesday, March 28 and Thursday, March 30 at 7:00 p.m. in the South Atrium at Town Hall. Trails will be addressed, amongst the many aspects of the plan.
    Documentation available at www.oakville.ca/bpo-prcl.htm.


    GreenTrans website

    February 28, 2006

    We are thrilled to announce that our website has been updated! Check out, especially, our Links page, which includes links to local bus and train services. We hope this page will be of use to many.

    This is just the beginning of getting our site back on track. Please email info@greentrans.org if you know of other links which should be added. News items are also welcome on an ongoing basis.


    Burlington Transit

    January 20, 2006

    Transit Service Review for 2006-2015 is underway. Public consultations will be held Tuesday, January 31, 2006 at Mainway Arena, Mainway at Walker's Line, and Wednesday, February 1 at Burlington Central Library, 2331 New Street. Meetings both nights are scheduled from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. with a presentation at 6:30 p.m. To complete an online survey, visit cms.burlington.ca/English/Burlington-Transit.html.

     

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    ongoing road issues

    Visit our Roads page for the current status of road projects.

     

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