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1 1 | Friday, December 9, 2 0 1 6 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Transit growth should fill so-called `em pty buses' continued from p.1 routes servicing the downtown core. "I know there are a lot of complaints about empty buses. Quite honesdy, I don't like seeing empty buses, either. I want the buses fall of people," said van Kesteren. Earlier this year, Oakville Transit in troduced improved routes with more frequent schedules, shorter wait times and better connections to GO trains and Burlington and Mississauga bus routes. The modifications were part of Phase 1 of a five-year service plan to signifi cantly improve the bus-riding experi ence for existing customers while at tracting new riders. The service review also resulted in the removal of six routes deemed to have low ridership -- Routes 2 ,5A, 21, 22, 25, and 32. Ward 3 Town Councillor Nick Hutchins noted the No. 2 route cost approximately $1.4 million a year to keep in service, but only $200,000 in revenue was recovered due to low rid ership. Mayor Rob Burton asked Oakville Transit Director Barry Cole to address ridership and the number of buses and routes in service. Cole noted it runs 72 buses in the afternoon/evening peak time and 71 buses during the morning peak -- op erating 21 routes. Oakville Transit currently has just more than 2.8 million riders, while 10 years ago it served about 2.2 million. "At a high level, 10 years ago, we would have put out about 55 buses at peak. We operated community buses, we didn' t have seniors' specials, we had half the school specials. Ridership was probably 20-25 per cent less," said Cole, who acknowledged the transit system has increased about 40 per cent since 2006. · · · The owners of an Oakville home assessed at $700,000 will pay an extra $115.36 per year ($2.22 a week) -- or $16.48 per $100,000 of assessment -- on their property tax bill next year -- if the Town passes its 2017 budget Mon day (Dec. 12). That' s a hike of 1.99 per cent on the overall tax bill. It' s actually a 3.21 per cent increase on the Town' s portion of the tax bill, which is softened by its combination with a lesser hike from Halton Region and no change to education taxes. While residents pay taxes to the Town, the taxes collected are divided among the municipality (Oakville), Regional municipality (Halton), and whichever school board (Catholic or public), a property owner elects to sup port. at Monday' s meeting, which starts at 7 p.m. at Town Hall, can register in person then or in advance by emailing townclerk@oakville.ca or calling 905-815-6015. Residents unable to attend it can stream it live on the Town' s YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/user/ townofoakvilletv. - with files from David Lea Dr. Arun N arang, D.D.S. S le e p Oakville Transit will see rate hikes as a result of the Town of Oakville's proposed 2017 budget. | Metroland file photo A p n e a The Town' s Budget Committee, headed by Ward 6 Councillor Tom Adams, met Tuesday (Dec. 6) to look at a 3.21 per cent increase to the Town' s portion of the tax bill. The latest Toronto Consumer Price Index shows an annual increase of 2.3 per cent. Once the increase on the Town' s portion of the tax bill is combined with a proposed 1.9 per cent increase in Halton Region taxes and no increase in education rates, the overall tax bill will rise by 1.99 per cent. Those who wish to register as a delegate Sleep apnea is a serious medical condition where you would periodically stop breathing while sleeping. Many patients do not realize they have sleep apnea and only discover the condition after seeking relief for associated symptoms, such as snoring, choking, or gasping for breath during the night. There are many of symptoms associated with this condition, such as: headaches in the morning, fatigue, grinding your teeth while sleeping, feelings of depression, increased anxiety, and memory loss. The pauses in breathing that occur during the night may last up to a minute or more; as a result, there are numerous risks associated with this condition. 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