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S

spmarshall

Guest
The Bill is now online. Some highlights below.

www.e-laws.gov.on.ca/DBLaws/Statutes/English/06g16_e.htm

Board Membership:

(2) The board shall be composed of,

(a) two persons appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister; and

(b) the following persons appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister:

(i) four persons recommended by the council of the City of Toronto,

(ii) one person recommended by the council of the City of Hamilton,

(iii) one person recommended by the council of The Regional Municipality of Durham,

(iv) one person recommended by the council of The Regional Municipality of Halton,

(v) one person recommended by the council of The Regional Municipality of Peel, and

(vi) one person recommended by the council of The Regional Municipality of York. 2006, c. 16, s. 9 (2).

Toronto - 4 reps, 905 suburbs - 4 reps (1 each, though Halton has less than half of Peel's population), Hamilton, 1 rep, plus 2 Ontario appointees (please not Gordon "transit is not a social service" Chong, please not Gordon "Although I work in transit, I am not a transit purist." Chong).

Open to the public

(3) Meetings of the board shall be open to the public only on the following occasions:

1. When the board is considering the adoption of a transportation plan for the regional transportation area.

2. When the board is considering the adoption of a rolling five-year capital plan for the regional transportation area.

3. When the board is considering the adoption of an investment strategy for the rolling five-year capital plan.

4. When the Corporation’s annual report is being presented to the board.

5. When the board is approving its annual budget.

Powers

16. (1) Except as limited by this Act, the Corporation has the capacity, rights, powers and privileges of a natural person for carrying out its objects. 2006, c. 16, s. 16 (1).

(2) Without limiting the generality of subsection (1), the Corporation has the power,

(a) to hold, manage, operate, fund and deliver any local transit system or other transportation service within the regional transportation area by agreement with the municipalities to be served by the system or service;

(b) to hold, manage, operate, fund and deliver any local transit system or other transportation service outside the regional transportation area by agreement with the municipalities to be served by the system or service;

(c) to develop and implement management strategies and programs relating to transit and transportation demand. 2006, c. 16, s. 16 (2).

There are sections that allow for a later dissolution of GO Transit into the GTTA.


Personally, I find the part of the closed-door nature of the GTTA to be very disturbing. Especially as these are likely to be the same clowns and cabbageheads that run GO Transit (whose board meetings are open to the public, except in-camera business, of course).
 
Mississauga is really getting shafted on that board. Mississauga has the third largest population in Ontario and has no representation. Of course York, Durham, Halton and Hamilton are all over-represented.

I guess Canada (Ontario?) doesn't believe in representation by population
 
It is allocated by regional municipality, not city, so "Mississauga" may not necessarily be unrepresented - more likely Brampton will be, because GO's rep for Peel is Hazel McCallion. Peel has over twice Halton's or Hamilton's population, and I know noise was made about this earlier. Brampton also has the fastest-growing ridership in the GTA as well, IIRC.

Again, the undemocratic structure (especially with the secret meetings) is very disturbing. What the hell are the Liberals thinking?
 
No matter how the representation is divided, someone will be unhappy. You could argue that it should be by ridership, in which case Toronto's the one getting shafted.
 
Its true. Toronto is getting shafted. The overwhelming amount of transit use, and needs, plus overwhelming marketshare majority of ridership in the region, yet again, not a majority of the representation.

Based upon the boards responsibilities, the make up is nuts. I would expect to see such a composition if it was some highway type regional committee.

The best council, would to make the TTC the regional authority, and add some representation from GO, and the other regional suburban authorities.

Now what you are going to see is, one project for Toronto, now one for this area, and now one for that area, vs actual need. To gain a need project, the Toronto reps might have to support some un needed project.

"1. When the board is considering the adoption of a transportation plan for the regional transportation area.

2. When the board is considering the adoption of a rolling five-year capital plan for the regional transportation area.

3. When the board is considering the adoption of an investment strategy for the rolling five-year capital plan.
 
The intent of the act is good, but there's so many problems. Is this supposed to based on representation by population, or representation by region, or representation by ridership?

Toronto's getting 4 members, 905 4, Hamilton 1. The 905 does really well.

Why are board meetings barred from the public except in certain instances?

I can't believe some of the language. This bill is screwed up (intentionally?)
 
No matter how the representation is divided, someone will be unhappy. You could argue that it should be by ridership, in which case Toronto's the one getting shafted.
Click to expand...

Peel has twice as much ridership as York, Durham, and Halton regions combined yet gets the same amount of seats as them. At least the amount of seats for Toronto reflects its population. Peel is getting shafted in terms of population AND ridership.
 
"Peel has twice as much ridership as York, Durham, and Halton regions combined"

Is that true? If it is, that's a very telling stat.
 
Really, if they are going to do it this way, I would prefer a non-municipal-partisan committee that has no affiliations, in actuality and in appearance. In addition, no political afflications either, with power to obtain funds and to push things through.
 
How frustrating. The GTTA seems to be the only concrete thing happening with our transit right now, yet it's based precisely on what's holding us back in the first place: outdated de jure regions that discourage cooperation across our one de facto region.
 
Really, if they are going to do it this way, I would prefer a non-municipal-partisan committee that has no affiliations, in actuality and in appearance. In addition, no political afflications either, with power to obtain funds and to push things through.
Click to expand...

I think I agree. Even if they were all provincial appointees, that wouldn't be so bad. At least then they would have some accountability to the public.
 
I'm not sure if I'd like an all-appointed board. I am suspicious of who the province will appoint, given the attitudes of previous provincial appointees. Though I am inclined to agree that we should drop the regions and just have people chosen at large, based on merit and service, to represent all. And they have to be non-politicans if you do this, and the board has to be accountable.

Why I'm suspicious? Attitudes of people like Gordon Chong, the past Chair of GO Transit, has been quoted as saying "Transit is not a social service" in dismissing the concerns of postsecondary students in 2003 when GO Transit contemplated scrapping the student discount. He has also been quoted as saying "Although I work in transit, I am not a transit purist. I believe in a balance between transit and roads." He's now going to go with the "Daycare is not a social service" routine for the Conservatives.
 
I agree.

The board should be run via seasoned industry professionals.
 
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