Looks like the bus strike is over in Ottawa, eh?
Good.
Now, according to everyone, including moi, the trick is to get them, and by them I mean, you, back on the busses.
What t' do, what t' do, what t' do.
I have an idea and, as per usual, it is not an original one, but it is a good one. Why doesn't the city do what the city of Portland, Oregon does on TriMet, their version of OC Transpos. Free busses, as in free. Since the mid 1970's in Portland, O, a town about twice the size of Ottawa/Gatineau, they have had a large free fare zone called Fareless Square. It encompasses most of downtown and they are considering expanding it to cover even more routes.
Of course, in Ottawa, where our leaders have shown over the seven week plus transit shut down a brilliant ability to offer a case study in a lack of leadership, and, love them or hate them, at least the transit union was consistent in its message, this will never happen.
Too bad.
Coz the WFDS plan, as follows, is brilliant and simple.
Free transit from now until July 2, 2009 on all routes and O-Train.
After that, all transit way busses, and the O-Train are free.
And a toonie for everything else.
My goodness, does that make sense?
As a bonus, it would give Lowell Green palpatations which would make for fun radio.
WFDS
Dan, how did you ever come to know whether the busses in Portland are free?
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