Could we benefit from more safe consumption sites?
I'm more and more convinced that anything you try do on this front is an exercise in "what is least bad". Forcibly putting people in treatment is bad, the impacts on communities around safe consumption sites is bad, throwing people's tents and belongings in a dumpster is bad, leaving the tents and having people get physically and sexually assaulted is bad.
Any one of the individuals in these situations we're trying to fix needed to be helped decades ago. It truly seems it's just too late by the time we get to the guy shooting up on the train platform, and our social services intervening to keep kids from ending up in these tragic circumstances need to be stepped up big time.
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I'm actually quite surprised to read these stories. We did a family trip downtown a few weekends ago and took the train from Anderson and didn't run into any issues at all.
It's truly hit or miss. Depending on the day / time, as well as your threshold for proximity to vagrants. I havent had any issues, but have noticed more homeless, mental-health issues, on the trains. I havent seen any drug use.
I also live and work downtown. I walk by Chimur every single day and have seen drug users on the street. Im probably more used to it than someone living outside the core
The trains have certainly less ridership; not unlike any other major center during the pandemic.
I noticed the news about it and I recalled the discussion before the pandemic about crime statistics in the areas with the (new) C-train stations. How even before the pandemic they were basically all up at substantially higher pace than the city average after getting the stations.
Sounds like it's only gotten worse with the pandemic.
You can text 74100 if you're being threatened or see bad behaviour, it's an emergency text line without hitting the actual emergency button.
The stations and trains could be cleaner I agree. I don't think it's a well run operation. I see that cleaning company around but not that frequently, I've picked up garbage myself. Same with snow removal, many platforms don't get cleaned off well past the morning rush.
You can also report issues to 311 from the CT site.
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Depends, all of America is not doing the same thing.
I've posted this a few times, but there is clearly a difference between what Seattle, Washington is doing and what Rhode Island is doing... and Washington is closer to what our approach would be if we went all-in on what amounts to "indifference disguised as compassion".
There needs to be some kind of multi-faceted approach that deals with the problem more effectively. From what I can tell, downtown has gotten worse despite the safe injection site. You can't tell me more of that is going to make things better without adding something else to the mix.
As TorqueDog mentions, the US is a hodgepodge of laws, policing standards and prosecutors. If you want a Western-style democracy that is utterly ruthless against drug usage, dealing and smuggling, look to Singapore.
Singapore is a democracy in the same style as Russia, so I'd prefer a less authoritarian approach to social order even if it has some downsides.
Is it education? How about Tokyo's public obedience? People are just taught to not litter and not be sketchy. I'm sure it exists in the shadows but 20+ million people who follow the rules.
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For those who commute, use transit, or have school aged kids who do (post secondary students notwithstanding), Calgary Transit is offering 50% off monthly adult passes and 30% off student passes for August and September.
For those who commute, use transit, or have school aged kids who do (post secondary students notwithstanding), Calgary Transit is offering 50% off monthly adult passes and 30% off student passes for August and September.
I mean, that's good I guess, but I don't think the reason people aren't coming back to transit is monetary. If the average person doesn't feel safe using the system, I doubt $50 moves the needle on that.
I mean, that's good I guess, but I don't think the reason people aren't coming back to transit is monetary. If the average person doesn't feel safe using the system, I doubt $50 moves the needle on that.
It's making me consider it...
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I mean, that's good I guess, but I don't think the reason people aren't coming back to transit is monetary. If the average person doesn't feel safe using the system, I doubt $50 moves the needle on that.
Maybe not directly. But getting more people back onto trains and platforms will improve safety. Even if someone turns down the savings this time around, the next time they see the platform a bit busier with commuters who did take the offer, they will be more inclined to take the train again.
Getting the system back to "normal" will take years, but they have to start somewhere. This is probably more effective than wasting millions on turnstiles, although I would welcome an increased, visible security presence on trains and platforms, especially in the short term.
But that's not even talking about how working from home, even partially, will continue to impact ridership for a long, long time.
Maybe not directly. But getting more people back onto trains and platforms will improve safety. Even if someone turns down the savings this time around, the next time they see the platform a bit busier with commuters who did take the offer, they will be more inclined to take the train again.
Getting the system back to "normal" will take years, but they have to start somewhere. This is probably more effective than wasting millions on turnstiles, although I would welcome an increased, visible security presence on trains and platforms, especially in the short term.
But that's not even talking about how working from home, even partially, will continue to impact ridership for a long, long time.
Absolutely true on both accounts. As ridership rises it should make people feel safer. Problem is with continued WFH there might be a ceiling on transit numbers. And people will be less likely to buy a monthly pass if they are commuting fewer days. This is problem all cities are going to face. Maybe the solution is to lower the price of a month pass to make it worthwhile for part time commuters. I also feel the federal and provincial governments are going to have to step up to the plate and help cities maintain service levels as their ridership revenues decline otherwise we face a downward spiral in service.
