Cumberland Candidate Stephen Blais believes it’s time City Council created an Ottawa Transit Commission, similar to other Canadian cities, to ensure our city embarks on a long-term vision that serves residents by implementing an affordable and accessible model for public transit.

“It’s time for the City of Ottawa to move forward with an Ottawa Transit Commission,” says Blais. “A transit commission with representatives with business and transit experience will allow residents to benefit from new ideas and experience that will ultimately lead to improvements to our public transit system.”

Cumberland Candidate Stephen Blais has been advocating a transit authority for Ottawa for more than a few years. In February 2009, he advocated this position in his community newspaper, the Orléans Star:
http://www.orleansstar.ca/article-308287-Independent-transit-authority-needed.html

“There is no denying that the quality of service has been steadily decreasing, while at the same time, the cost has been increasing far above the rate of inflation,” adds Blais. “City councilors are not public transit experts and their decisions over the last seven-years have reaffirmed they don’t know what they are doing.”

If elected to city council, Blais’ ideas in forming a transit commission will include a body of seven representatives. Three city councilors and three individuals will be appointed to four-year terms. The seventh member will be a City Councilor appointed to a two-year term (January 2011 – January 2013), followed by a community representative appointed to a two-year term (January 2013 – January 2015).

The community representatives will be appointed by the mayor, city council and an advisory committee (Pedestrian and Transit), who shall each appoint one individual. The remaining six members of the transit commission will appoint the seventh member. In addition, the chairperson of the transit commission must rotate between a city councilor and community representative every two-years.

Stephen Blais also believes that the responsibilities of the new transit commission can include recruiting and appointing the senior management at OC Transpo, including the General Manager; annually assessing OC Transpo’s performance; approving annual operating and capital budgets; establishing policies and by-laws; amongst other issues to be decided upon by the next council.