FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE: Sutcliffe's proposed fare hike up to 75% reckless, says Horizon Ottawa
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE: Council ignores workers and residents in decision to continue LRT cuts, says Horizon Ottawa
OTTAWA - Horizon Ottawa is condemning a decision by Council today to continue unpopular cuts to LRT frequency that came into effect on August 26th.
The majority of City council voted today in a 14 to 11 vote to reject Councillor Leiper's motion to reverse LRT service cuts in favour of a motion from Transit Chair Glen Gower that essentially calls on OC Transpo to continue to collect LRT ridership data, something they are already doing.
For weeks, Horizon Ottawa has been mounting a campaign to pressure the Transit Commission and councillors to support a reversal of the decision seeing close to 1300 residents send emails using their email tool as well as over 30 delegates speaking at the Transit Commission.
Councillors who opposed the motion including Councillors Lo, Curry, Dudas, Gower, Kitts and Luloff among others said that they would rather invest the savings from the LRT cuts to improve bus service in their wards. All six of those councillors voted to cuts transit service in last year's budget.
"The message from residents was clear - the dozens of residents who showed up to speak last week and the close to 1300 who emailed their councillors do not support these cuts" said Sam Hersh, Coordinator for Horizon Ottawa. "It is frustraing to see councillors reject Leiper's motion at a critical time for our bus and LRT system. Why invest billions of dollars into a system if we are just going to make it more difficult for people to use it?"
The majority of councillors also voted in favour of the budget directions put forward by Mark Sutcliffe that among other things propose an up to 75% increase in transit fares, service cuts and a continuation of underfunding services.
The change would make Ottawa have some of the highest fares in the country.
Some councillors opposed to the directions called them a "recipe for disaster."
"This decision is setting up for a catastrophic budget that will do nothig to solve this apparent financial crisis." Said Hersh. "Different levels of government should come to the table with more money but the Mayor and Council have to stop shirking their responsibility for poor financial decisions that have seen residents suffer the consequences."
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For Media Inquiries:
Sam Hersh
613-664-7018
[email protected]
