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To mark the 150th birthday of Confederation, we asked local residents from a variety of backgrounds to share their wishes for the future of the capital or the country. Today: Kira-Lynn Ferderber.
I love Ottawa. I was born and raised here, and I love showing off my city to visitors from all over. I’m inspired by the powerful activism and art I see in Ottawa every day.
I’ve had the privilege of working with many of our great music festivals over the past several years as a performer, and also as an educator specializing in safety at big events. I teach sexual violence prevention and anti-racist bystander intervention, hoping to make our public parties and city streets as welcoming and as safe as possible for everyone.
Across the Ottawa area there are so many great things to see, and it should be our goal to make the city as accessible as we can for all – visitors and residents. One priority must be creating more barrier-free spaces, where people of different physical abilities can access the same store, party or service.
We also need to think about how we are all moving through our city. Are the sidewalks clear? Is there enough room for the new bar patio, the fire hydrant and a person walking by with a stroller? Can a person with a wheelchair navigate this curb? Is every fun place in this city up a flight of stairs? Our venues should be accessible, and our routes to these destinations need to be accessible as well.
My vision for Ottawa includes public transportation without a pay-per-use fee system. No bus passes, no bus tickets, no counting change, no tapping a card, no proof-of-purchase receipt, no transfers. Currently, OC Transpo is paid for in part through fares, but also by property taxes. It’s up to us to decide which city services are paid for in whole or in part with user fees, and how much of the cost comes out of the city budget. Roads aren’t pay-per-use for those in cars, and it would be possible for bus use to work the same way.
“Free” transit would mean a transit system paid for by everyone, which is fair, because we all benefit from public transit. Even those who drive have a better experience when more people choose bus or light rail: less congestion, fewer parking issues and improved air quality.
Losing the revenue from fares would cost the system money, but expenses would also be lowered without the need to pay fare inspectors, print and distribute tickets, maintain payment systems and update printed materials with each fare increase.
Free transit gives people an incentive to go to a store or event they might otherwise skip – and that extra $7 round trip is money they can spend once they get to the shop or festival. Free transit helps make a city attractive to businesses and tourists, and is part of creating a vibrant, inclusive local culture. Sponsorships and advertising can help subsidize some of the cost, making attending a “free” event truly free, and attending any event more accessible to more people.
Nobody in Ottawa pays a fee each time they step on a sidewalk, pull on to the highway, or ride on a bike lane. All of these pieces of city property are part of getting around town, and they are maintained by city workers, but we don’t require people to put a charge on their credit card just to walk to work. Our buses and light rail could operate the same way – as part of a transit system paid for by the city’s budget, for the benefit of all who use it.
Kira-Lynn Ferderber is a feminist rapper and activist, also known as hip-hop’s Mayor of Ottawa.
Related
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I love Ottawa. I was born and raised here, and I love showing off my city to visitors from all over. I’m inspired by the powerful activism and art I see in Ottawa every day.
I’ve had the privilege of working with many of our great music festivals over the past several years as a performer, and also as an educator specializing in safety at big events. I teach sexual violence prevention and anti-racist bystander intervention, hoping to make our public parties and city streets as welcoming and as safe as possible for everyone.
Across the Ottawa area there are so many great things to see, and it should be our goal to make the city as accessible as we can for all – visitors and residents. One priority must be creating more barrier-free spaces, where people of different physical abilities can access the same store, party or service.
We also need to think about how we are all moving through our city. Are the sidewalks clear? Is there enough room for the new bar patio, the fire hydrant and a person walking by with a stroller? Can a person with a wheelchair navigate this curb? Is every fun place in this city up a flight of stairs? Our venues should be accessible, and our routes to these destinations need to be accessible as well.
My vision for Ottawa includes public transportation without a pay-per-use fee system. No bus passes, no bus tickets, no counting change, no tapping a card, no proof-of-purchase receipt, no transfers. Currently, OC Transpo is paid for in part through fares, but also by property taxes. It’s up to us to decide which city services are paid for in whole or in part with user fees, and how much of the cost comes out of the city budget. Roads aren’t pay-per-use for those in cars, and it would be possible for bus use to work the same way.
“Free” transit would mean a transit system paid for by everyone, which is fair, because we all benefit from public transit. Even those who drive have a better experience when more people choose bus or light rail: less congestion, fewer parking issues and improved air quality.
Losing the revenue from fares would cost the system money, but expenses would also be lowered without the need to pay fare inspectors, print and distribute tickets, maintain payment systems and update printed materials with each fare increase.
Free transit gives people an incentive to go to a store or event they might otherwise skip – and that extra $7 round trip is money they can spend once they get to the shop or festival. Free transit helps make a city attractive to businesses and tourists, and is part of creating a vibrant, inclusive local culture. Sponsorships and advertising can help subsidize some of the cost, making attending a “free” event truly free, and attending any event more accessible to more people.
Nobody in Ottawa pays a fee each time they step on a sidewalk, pull on to the highway, or ride on a bike lane. All of these pieces of city property are part of getting around town, and they are maintained by city workers, but we don’t require people to put a charge on their credit card just to walk to work. Our buses and light rail could operate the same way – as part of a transit system paid for by the city’s budget, for the benefit of all who use it.
Kira-Lynn Ferderber is a feminist rapper and activist, also known as hip-hop’s Mayor of Ottawa.
Related
- Canada 150: Complete coverage
- A user's guide to Canada Day in the capital
- Canada Day 2017: Complete guide to road closures and transit information
- More Capital Wishlists
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