Question 1:
What role can transit play in reducing traffic congestion and mitigating increasing expenditures on road maintenance?
Transit has an important role to play in how Burlington manages growth and mobility. As our population increases, we cannot simply respond by continually adding road capacity. A reliable transit system gives people a practical alternative to driving, can move more people using less road space, and can help reduce pressure on our transportation network.
That said, transit needs to be convenient, reliable and connected to where people actually need to go if we expect more residents to choose it. I support looking at transportation as an integrated system, including transit, roads, walking and cycling, and investing where we can demonstrate that those investments improve mobility and provide value for residents.
Question 2:
In your opinion, what can be done to improve specialized transit for disabled riders and would you be in favour of raising the budget for this increasingly important service?
Specialized transit is an essential service for residents who rely on it for work, medical appointments, shopping and participation in community life. Accessibility should not simply mean that a service technically exists. It also needs to be dependable and available when people need it.
I have heard concerns about wait times, booking flexibility and service availability, and I believe those experiences need to inform how the service evolves. I support investing in specialized transit where demand and service data demonstrate that additional vehicles, operators or other resources are required.
Burlington has already recognized increasing demand, including funding an additional specialized transit vehicle in the 2026 budget. I would support further investment where the evidence demonstrates it is needed, while also looking at scheduling, technology and service delivery to ensure existing resources are being used as effectively as possible.
Question 3:
Burlington’s and Halton’s Official Plans call for transit’s share of all trips to rise to 20% (from the current figure of about 4%) by 2031. Do you support this objective?
I support the objective of significantly increasing transit use in Burlington and across Halton. The more important question for me is how we achieve it.
Residents will choose transit when it is a practical alternative: when service is frequent, reliable, safe and connects them efficiently to employment, schools, GO stations, services and neighbouring municipalities.
I would note that the planning targets have evolved over time. Halton’s Transportation Master Plan established a goal of transit accounting for at least 20% of daily trips by Halton residents by 2031, while Burlington’s more recent Integrated Mobility Plan identifies a target of increasing transit mode share to 15% by 2051, including higher targets for inter-municipal travel.
Regardless of the specific planning horizon, I support increasing transit’s share of trips. I also believe we should regularly measure progress and make investment decisions based on ridership, service performance and demonstrated community need.
Question 4:
With record ridership and increasing demand, are you in favour of supporting continued expansion of Burlington’s transit system?
Yes. Burlington Transit recorded more than 3.7 million trips in 2025, a new record, and continued population growth will place additional demands on the system.
I support continued expansion where ridership, population growth and service data demonstrate the need. That includes improving frequency and reliability on high-demand routes, strengthening connections to GO Transit and neighbouring municipalities, and ensuring that specialized transit keeps pace with demand.
Expansion should also come with clear performance measures so Council and residents can see what additional investment is achieving.
Question 5:
Have you ever used Burlington Transit? Would you be willing to give it a try?
Yes, I have used Burlington Transit.
Like many residents, how I travel depends on where I am going and what makes sense for that particular trip. I live in a neighbourhood where walking is a realistic option for some destinations, and my family and I use active transportation when and where we can. For other trips, distance, timing or available transit connections can make that more difficult.
I think that speaks to one of the broader challenges we need to address if we want more people to choose transit. It has to be a practical and convenient option that gets people where they need to go, when they need to get there.
I would absolutely continue to use Burlington Transit and believe it is important for members of Council to understand the system not only through reports and ridership data, but also through the experience of the people who use it.
Question 6:
The Ontario Legislature recently passed Bill 98, the Building Homes and Improving Transportation Infrastructure Act, 2026, which gives the provincial Minister of Transportation the power to override municipal transit authorities and set routes and fares for municipal transit systems. We at BFAST have the following concerns about this legislation:
1) It could disrupt current arrangements between transit systems in Burlington, Oakville and Hamilton that provide connections between these cities.
2) The Minister could divert Burlington Transit resources — for example, to provide service along the planned bus rapid transit corridor on Highway 5 (Dundas St.), which was supposed to have been undertaken by GO Transit. This would, in effect, download more fiscal responsibility from the province to local governments.
3) Certain initiatives by Burlington Transit, such as free fares for seniors and students, could be eliminated.
Please comment on this legislation and what measures you would undertake or support to ensure transit service levels in Burlington would not be degraded.
There are potential benefits to better integration between transit systems. Making it easier for someone to travel between Burlington, Oakville, Hamilton and GO Transit, particularly with coordinated fares, transfers and accessible services, can improve the rider experience.
At the same time, I am concerned whenever decisions affecting a locally funded service can be made without sufficient consideration of local service needs or financial impacts.
Bill 98’s Fare Alignment and Seamless Transit Act gives the Province significant regulatory authority over matters including fare structures, fare discounts, transfers, priority routes and service standards. That makes it important for Burlington to be actively involved as regulations are developed and implemented.
As a member of Council, I would advocate for three principles. Burlington residents should not experience reduced local service as a result of provincial decisions; new provincial or regional transit responsibilities should come with appropriate funding rather than simply being downloaded onto municipal taxpayers; and programs that provide demonstrated local benefit, including affordable and accessible fare options, should be protected wherever possible.
I would also expect City staff to clearly report to Council on any proposed provincial changes, including their implications for service levels, riders and Burlington taxpayers, so Council can respond before changes are implemented wherever possible.
Question 7:
Over the past months, a plan has been promoted wherein a private company would provide on-demand transit service to potentially replace certain routes operated by Burlington Transit. Among BFAST’s concerns with this plan are:
1) Over-reliance on one private company to provide a service that could not be easily replaced if the provider were to fail.
2) Cost escalation and more traffic on our roads as mini-buses replaced current vehicles and more drivers were needed to move the same number of passengers.
3) Diversion of already-constrained Burlington Transit budget to a private, for-profit company, resulting in lower levels of service.
We would appreciate your comments on on-demand transit in general and the idea of diverting public budgets to private corporations.
I am open to on-demand transit as a tool, but I do not believe it should be treated as an ideological choice between public and private delivery.
On-demand service may make sense in particular circumstances, such as lower-demand areas or times of day when running a large fixed-route bus with very few passengers is neither efficient nor environmentally responsible. It could potentially improve access for residents who currently have limited service.
However, any proposal needs to demonstrate that it actually improves service and provides value over the long term.
Burlington Council has directed staff to develop a proposal for a two-year on-demand pilot that would work alongside the existing fixed-route system. Before supporting implementation, I would want to understand the full business case: cost per passenger, anticipated ridership, service standards, accessibility, impacts on existing routes and employees, traffic implications, data ownership, contract terms and what happens if the private provider fails or costs escalate.
I would not support weakening a successful fixed-route service simply to transfer public dollars to a private operator. Nor would I reject a partnership solely because a private company is involved. The test should be whether the arrangement provides better service and better value for Burlington residents while protecting the reliability, accessibility and long-term sustainability of our transit system.
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