Greater Toronto Transit Authority

This is absolutely excellent news. I’m a big fan of the TTC (Toronto Transit Commission) and Hamitlon-Burlington-Oakville has transit agreements in place, although somewhat piecemeal, they still make commuting into these cities attainable and affordable.

One transit card for all these communities will make commuting easier by allowing flexibility, seamless transfers and the ability for spontaneity. It also means that individuals living in one area have the flexibility to look for work in other areas that provides consistent, low cost and dependable service.

It would be great if low-cost bulk ride transportation cards were available for purchase, for example 10 trips to a particular destination for a particular price, could be extended to other corridors such as Windsor-Ottawa from Toronto or other hubs. This would make visiting family members affordable and also increase tourism in places that would not otherwise have been considered by other Ontarians.

And now for a twist.

There is one odd fact about many Hamiltonians. Quite a few people have told me they have never been outside of Hamilton – in one instance not even to Toronto! Some have never been past Kitchener. This tells me that there is opportunity here for other communities across Ontario to market themselves in Hamilton. Believe me, adult Hamiltonians could use to learn what’s outside their borders and how other communities live. There are probably an equal number of ‘outsiders’ new to Hamilton that don’t like it here. We all seem to agree on its’ description - Hamilton is weird.

There is quite a difference from living in Southern Ontario ie London – Windsor, to living here. These smaller cities seem to have a grasp on progressive and professional thought and development. But with that, I do have to say, progressiveness doesn’t always come with sensitivity.

The one thing that I did notice when I moved to Hamilton and was struck by, is the friendliness of the teenagers. They aren’t hard edged like they are in Windsor or aloof like they are in London. They are respectful, engage in interesting conversations and are just plain nice what ties this in to transportation is that most of these observations were gleaned from rides on the bus.

Teenagers! On a bus!

Someone somewhere is doing something right.