Public transit is a key element of affordable transportation and an essential service in any urban environment. Residents (particularly low-income residents) must have an effective, frequent and affordable transit system to access employment, education, healthcare and community services.
Why this is important. Built infrastructure often determines how efficient and effective a transit service can be. Zoning and infrastructure standards can support public transit by including requirements for that infrastructure.
What ZoneSJ gets right. With respect to public transit, nothing. ZoneSJ completely ignores public transit.
Issues and opportunities. ZoneSJ could accommodate future growth by including a Transit section, with standards for:
– transit islands, required in large-scale commercial developments
– transit shelters (siting, drainage and public safety standards)
– curb standards (materials, height, etc.) appropriate for kneeling-bus equipment
– road standards in residential developments that connect to existing infrastructure in such a way to allow buses to actually transit (for example, no cul-de-sacs).
Cheat sheet for your feedback. If you want to provide feedback on this issue, feel free to use or edit the statements below:
Simple version
Please do more to help ensure that residents have access to effective and affordable public transit. Make developers build bus shelters and transit islands as part of large projects. Set standards to ensure that the public is safe, and that residents have access to public transit regardless of age or disability.
More detailed version
- Add a Transit section to ZoneSJ.
- Specify standards for transit islands, shelters, curbs and road infrastructure in residential developments.
- Make the creation of transit islands and shelters a requirement for large-scale commercial and residential developments.
The deadline for your feedback to the City on ZoneSJ is Friday November 29th. Submit your input to (via webform, or in writing to planning@saintjohn.ca). And copy your councillors.