Better bus service and safer roads around Fanshawe College are priorities for at least two candidates running in Ward 3.
Both issues matter to the Fanshawe community, especially after a year of major construction near the college to prepare for the city’s new Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system.
With thousands of students and staff travelling to campus each day by car, bike and bus, XFM wanted to know what candidates are proposing when it comes to transit and roads. Earlier this week, XFM sent a list of questions to all six candidates seeking to represent the east London ward.
Zak Rahim and Leroy Osbourne responded.
What transit improvements does Ward 3 need most?
“So what Ward 3 really needs is frequency of transit and connectivity where people are and where they need to get where they need to go,” Rahim said.
“So if you’re deep in a residential area, you’re not walking 10 minutes, 15 minutes to get to a main corridor,” Osbourne said.
Should planning north and west BRT routes continue or pause?
Both support a pause.
“Right now, we haven’t proven to taxpayers to Londoners that we got a good plan. We just have promises,” Osbourne said.
“So before we commit to new, you know, new legs of the BRT, the north or west leg, I want to see what that spending will actually deliver,” Rahim said.
What would you do to improve road safety?
Osbourne wants to enforce calmer traffic, and upgrade down Huron Street.
“Give a safe area that’s off the road. And we start rethinking how we use sidewalks and turning into multi use paths,” Osbourne said.
Rahim purposes traffic calming by schools, filling sidewalk gaps along Highbury Avenue and better snow plowing on bike lanes.
“When we make it safer for our kids to walk or bike to school, we can get away from that car dependency,” Rahim said.
London’s municipal election is open October 26, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m..
