Have the student bus pass available at the retail outlets, not just downtown. I live and attend school in the south east end. I attend Westervelt, there is a retail outlet for all bus passes, regular and senior in White Oaks mall. They do NOT, however, sell post-secondary passes. This is discriminatory! Westervelt has in attendance an average of 600 students. London Transit is missing out on revenue and alot of those students are opting to drive instead of taking the bus.

Exactly, JJ. Affordability and accessibility. Oh yeah, and s sign on the back so you don't chase the wrong bus.

Great idea, expand the hours of service, and coverage to industrial parks on the city limits. This could also help with drinking and driving. Plus peace of mind for parents to know their children always have a way home.

It is most certainly not "the stupidest idea ever". Trust me, I have that covered in spades. :P

A few years ago I was researching free public transit. Many cities were working on that concept. I believe (bad memory) that a number of cities found success. The problem is how to pay for it and that falls upon tax payers. These days, if there is nothing in it for them, then it is a "stupid" idea.

Lately I was toying with the concept of no motor vehicles at all in the city. All transportation would be bikes, slow scooters, motorized chairs and some sort of transport for those who cannot transport themselves. Of course this won't work because people need to get places faster, businesses need goods delivered and.....wait for it....winter.

I think free public transit would go a long way to improve the lives of many, many Londoners and also believe that if we look after the less advantaged maybe London's "nice" image will be justified.

(I thought these forums were for ideas to improve London in general, not just identity.)

It looks as though I misunderstood this forum, it's about London's identity and not about ideas to make the city better. But I sure am sorry for coming up with "the stupidest idea ever" By the way, Light rail is a pipe dream, it will never happen, we will all be in Depends before it breaks even. My idea was simply to encourage people who never take the bus, to take the bus instead of driving.

Fares are not the problem? Maybe not for some, but they are for the passengers that need the bus most.

Yes, building a good transit system does cost big money, but so does maintaining the status quo. Ask anyone in a city with great transit - like Portland, Vancouver, San Francisco, Calgary, etc. and they will tell you it is worth it to have great transit. Transit fares are not the problem. The problem is London's lackluster system.

GreatallNorth2, but how much would it cost to build such a system and how much would the fare be?

I don't think people really dislike the bus that much, do they? Maybe some don't like the wait or route structure. (My personal Big Beef is no sign on the back of the bus. I hate chasing a bus I don't really want to catch.) I think the biggest determent most have is the cost. A bus ride is $2.75. Loaf of bread $1.99 on sale. So that is $4.76 to go get a loaf of bread. (sure it is only an example, and not the best, but the point is there)
Alternative people friendly fuel, better subsidy so we can afford bus drivers (I'll do it for half what they get) and any user friendly tweaks would attract new riders.
Oh, and a bus pass for those who cannot afford one. Say people making less that $1200 a month. (it does not cost the LTC/City to give away a free ride).

Stupidest idea ever. Build a better transit system that people want to ride on..like light rail.

It could work the same with rental properties, a tenant could receive a bus pass through their landlond. The Tenant would have the cost covered in their rent and the landlord in their taxes. Though that might require some tweaking of the Residential Tenancies Act to work.

Yeah.....I am no stats wiz but my knee-jerk thought is the majority of bus riders rent. Most people I assume, if they have the bucks, secure a car before a home. The home is just a place to put the stuff like a car.
There are many cities that have free transit, though I couldn't tell you which or how they pull it off.
If subsidy came straight from property tax then bus riders would be labelled societal leeches along with the rest of the poor.