Guy Quenneville
Northern News Services
Wednesday, April 25, 2007

YELLOWKNIFE - City council is cutting back - if only a little - on Public Works' recommendation to spend $100,000 on another study of city transit routes.

The city is eligible for a significant chunk of $1.7 million in federal funding to be devoted to public transit projects.

In the city's listing of projects it would like to see funded, the projected amount for the route analysis was listed as $100,000. Council voted money to cut that amount down to $75,000.

Some councillors remarked that that amount seemed very high for what is generally viewed as an unnecessary review.

"We've already done a lot of route analyses," said Coun. Bob Brooks. "$100,000 is a considerably high amount for another analysis.

I think city staff has done enough studies to know enough about our routes. I think we should be able to put the money towards something better."

Coun. David Wind agreed, saying that spending $100,000 on a route analysis may be unwise when city transit yields only $150,000 in fares per year.

He was later corrected by Mayor Gordon Van Tighem, who said city administration informed him that the fares collected by transit last year actually yielded a total of $270,000.

The dissenting voice among council was Coun. Paul Falvo, who strongly encouraged going forward with the study at its original price tag.

"It's crucial for the city to have a building block on which to expand its knowledge of the routes," he said.

"We can't expect our city staff to have enough knowledge about the routes. We should be putting more focus on the analysis."

Coun. Kevin Kennedy moved that the amount for the transit analysis be reduced to $75,000, with the extra $25,000 going towards another initiative on the list of projects: the creation of more bicycle stands and proper signage.

Kennedy's motion was passed, with Falvo and Wind voting against it.

Wind stated he was not in favour of toying with any of the dollar amounts in the project list.

Councillors also expressed concern about the projected amount of $75,000 for a study looking into developing safe highway crossing points on Highway 4 near the legislative assembly and near the entrance of Fred Henne Park and at the junction of Highways 3 and 4.

The same motion that slashed the funding of the route analysis also reduced the amount for the highway crossing study to $50,000. The extra $25,000 also went to the bicycle stand and signage project.

Among the other projects that the city would like to see funded were: increased promotion of the public transit system through such means as radio spots and television commercials (totaling $100,000); more bus shelters that will effectively withstand vandalism ($100,000); and pedestrian walkways in such places as Woolgar Avenue.

Notably absent from the list of potential projects was the underpass that would have connected the Niven and Frame Lake trails across Highway 4.

The city has until May 15 to finalize its priority list and send it to the GNWT, who will approve all final funding.