LETTER: Switch city bus system to fight climate change

SooToday received the following letter to the editor from reader Josiah Childs about making changes to public transit to help fight climate change.

There is no better time than now to switch the transit system here in Sault Ste. Marie, to a grid system.

We are in the midst of a climate crisis. The current hub and spoke system is absolutely not helping the Sault in fighting climate change.

In order for the Sault to help fight climate change, the city needs to switch to a grid style transit system.

This will not only be able to reduce trips by car here locally, but could also make the Sault a leader on how small cities can implement public transit in not just Canada, but throughout the world.

There are a multitude of pros with a grid transit system. Some of those pros are: more frequent bus routes, faster travel times, and no need to go downtown to change buses.

However, there are some cons to a grid system. Some of those cons include: expenses of buying new buses to ensure more frequent routes, and the costs associated with building a new bus garage that can accommodate numerous new buses.

A grid public transit system here in Sault Ste. Marie can help move the city from being car-oriented to a more people-friendly city.

It will also convince many people in the city to go car-free and/or use their cars less often.

In my opinion, I believe that it is the perfect time for Sault Transit to change from a hub and spoke transit network, to a grid transit network.

Josiah Childs