Report heading to Oakville Council June 23 continued from p.1 partisan task force to improve lifestyle in the Western GTA by improving the movement of people and goods. The group has 23 volunteers from varied backgrounds, including planners, engineers, business persons, and residents of Oakville, Burlington, Mississauga, Milton, Brampton and Caledon. Asthana, a professional engineer, said the task force has been researching transit since September 2013. It held 17 committee meetings and logged approximately 2,000 hours. From that, it made 28 recommendations to government -- at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels -- as well as transit operators. "The existing transit system is not well-connected. It is not seamless. It does not have ease of access," said Asthana. Byrne, a business consultant, said transit lines should not stop at municipal borders. "That's not how people actually move," she said. The group is calling on Metrolinx to lead the co-ordination and integration of all transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). It also advocates transit operators work closer with one another to increase co-ordination and integration of routes and fares. The Metrolinx board should include regional representatives, the group states. Byrne said she wants to see a change in the way Metrolinx sets its project priorities. "Too often in the past, politics has driven, to some degree, which projects get funded. They are not necessarily the most viable projects or the projects that are going to have the most positive impact on the residents. Scarborough subway is an example," she said. "If I am running a large business, I am going to look at which project is going to be the best for the long-term viability of my company. The same thing should happen with Metrolinx. What are going to be the best projects for the long-term viability of Ontario and our region?" While neither Byrne nor Asthana could put a price tag on the recommendations, they noted some are simply about prioritizing existing projects differently. Other recommendations called for the provincial and federal governments to create a sustainable, dedicated, long-term fund specifically for 3 | Wednesday, June 4, 2014 | OAKVILLE BEAVER | www.insideHALTON.com Karen Byrne Sure Loc Real Estate Rona Lowes Canada IOP Graphics Ltd. Techo Bloc National Sports Oakville Toyota, Sport Chek Bouclair Staples Home Depot Mukul Asthana mass urban transit projects. Another is for the federal government to contribute the entirety of gas tax revenues to address transit issues as part of a national strategy on transportation. The pair is calling on whoever wins the coming provincial election on June 12 to take transit seriously for the future growth of Ontario. Some of the other recommendations include introducing off-peak discounts to encourage more transit trips, free Wi-Fi at all stations overseen by Metrolinx, and renting space in stations for food and beverage concession stands. inside today's Editorial Sports Beaver www.insideHALTON.com 6 11 Artscene Classified 10 13 *All flyers not necessarily delivered to all homes For home delivery & customer service call 905-631-6095, 5300 Harvester Rd., Burlington New subscriptions call 905-631-6095 or subscribe online @ www.oakvillebeaver.com New Patients Welcome! Our door is always open We pride ourselves on the high quality of treatment, service and care we provide. We are always very happy to welcome new patients to our practice, and I welcome your call to schedule a new patient or emergency appointment with us! My office offers a wide range of complete modern dental care in a state of the art facility. 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