Question 1:
What role can transit play in reducing traffic congestion and mitigating increasing expenditures on road maintenance?
Traffic is the top concern I hear at the doors. That’s why I brought every level of government, transit agencies and first responders to one table, and why council directed staff to bring forward the city’s first congestion management plan. Transit has to be at the centre of it: more frequent service on our busiest routes, better connections to our GO stations, and growth focused around transit.
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?
Yes. Handi-Van is a lifeline for residents with disabilities and many seniors, and it is already overstretched. I’ve advocated for more frequent service on both conventional transit and Handi-Van, and this year’s budget added another Handi-Van vehicle and the staff to run it. I support continuing to increase its availability so the budget keeps pace with demand as our population ages.
Beyond funding, I want to hear directly from riders and the Accessibility Advisory Committee about what would help most, such as easier booking, reliable pick-up times and smoother connections with conventional transit and neighbouring systems.
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 goal and the direction it sets. Going from about 4 per cent to 20 per cent in five years is very ambitious, and it will take three things.
First, service people can rely on: frequent routes, especially at peak times and to our GO stations. Second, land use that supports transit, which is why we moved our Urban Growth Centre to the GO station and are focusing growth around transit. Third, sustained funding from the province and Ottawa, because property taxes can’t carry the full cost of the system we need. I’ll keep working on all three.
Question 4:
With record ridership and increasing demand, are you in favour of supporting continued expansion of Burlington’s transit system?
Yes. Burlington Transit carried more than 3.7 million rides last year, a record, which shows people will use transit when it works for them. I’ve successfully advocated for better routes, more frequent service, and more buses and drivers, and I support adding frequency on our busiest routes and at peak times.
I’m also working to improve service to employment areas in partnership with businesses, and have already connected Burlington Transit staff with local employers. And I’ve supported free transit for seniors, low-income residents and children under 12, and for students on evenings and weekends, so that cost isn’t a barrier.
Question 5:
Have you ever used Burlington Transit? Would you be willing to give it a try?
Yes. I’ve been a transit rider and advocate my whole life, and I served on the city’s first Transit Advisory Committee before I entered public office. I walk to work, cycle and take public transit, including the bus and the GO train, and I drive a hybrid for longer distances.
I’d welcome the chance to ride a route with BFAST members and hear directly from riders about what’s working and what isn’t.
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.
I share BFAST’s concerns. Better fare integration across the region is a good goal, but decisions about local routes, service levels and discounts should stay with the communities that fund and use them.
I’ll stand behind three principles. If the province directs service, the province must pay for it, not Burlington taxpayers. Our local programs, including free transit for seniors and students and our low-income passes, must be protected. I fought for those programs, and I will defend them. And the existing connections with Oakville and Hamilton that riders rely on must be kept. I’ll press these points with the province directly and through Ontario’s Big City Mayors and AMO as the regulations are developed.
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.
On-demand transit should be complementary to our fixed routes, not a replacement for them. I support a pilot of door-to-door service in areas with low ridership. We once did this with Dial-A-Ride, and new technology makes it more economical and easier for riders to use.
BFAST’s concerns are the right tests for any pilot. It must not reduce service on existing routes or take funding from them. It must stay accountable to the city, with public control over service standards, fares and data. And it must show real value for the dollars spent. Council will see the costs and results before deciding whether to continue. Our commitment to the fixed-route system doesn’t change.