Where I Stand
Municipal issues within Markham
Road Construction
An important area that is often times overlooked is the road construction. More attention needs to be paid on road construction because in Markham there are a lot of unnecessary projects started that are taking way too long to finish. A lot of the times when I'm passing by, I don't even see anyone working there. At the times where there are actually people working, they're really slow and sluggish. The purpose of these projects are to make things more convenient for us, but with the time it actually takes them to build that stuff, it becomes more of a nuisance. It acts as a road block and causes unnecessary traffic. It's really inconvenient for the people that are on a tight schedule because it could make people late for school or late for work. They need to pay attention to the efficiency of the workers and to manage the construction work better to ensure that it's completed quickly so it doesn't disrupt the traffic. An example would be the reconstruction of main street and the adding of the bus roads on highway 7. With all the construction taking place, 16th avenue is full of traffic.
Snow Removal
In Canada, the winters are brutal. Every year the snow piles really high and a lot of ice forms on the ground; which can be really dangerous for cars and pedestrians. The snow removal on the main roads and streets are always done on time, but the snow removal on the sidewalks are minimal. I always walk to places, so I find that it's a huge inconvenience; having to climb over snow hills at the edge of the road, getting snow in my shoe, slipping on the ice, etc., The snow on sidewalks should be removed every snowfall, and not just after the first snowfall or a big snowfall. It's really dangerous for pedestrians when snow on the sidewalk isn't removed properly; especially when there's ice. Therefore, more attention needs to be paid on snow removal to ensure that everyone is safe, and not just the cars on the roads. An issue that my family and I experience, and I'm sure a lot of other families experience as well, is having the removed snow get pushed onto our driveway. In the mornings, we always have to shovel the snow away, as it gets in the way when my parents are trying to back out. A lot of times it makes us late for whatever we have to attend. Snow ploughs should try to minimize the amount of snow that gets pushed onto people's driveways, for it wastes a lot of unnecessary energy and time.
Bus/Transit
An issue that I experience, and I'm sure a lot of other public transit users in Markham experience as well, is the long wait. When I miss the bus, I have to wait for another half hour or so for the next bus to come, which is ridiculous. The point of public transit is for convenience. Most of the time going on the bus is a last resort for me. It's when I need to go somewhere but I don't have a ride. If I'm going to have to wait so long for a bus and I'm supposed to meet up with someone or I have somewhere important I need to go to, I'll be late for sure. On top of that, in the less populated areas, the times are really inconsistent. More attention needs to be paid to ensure that buses arrive on time and there should be more buses, so the wait isn't as long. Another issue I have with the public transit in Markham is the bus fares. Public transit in other cities such as TTC, have special discounts for students, children and seniors, whereas YRT doesn't. There are only special discounts when you purchase a presto card, so it's inconvenient for one time users. They should apply that discount rule for cash fares as well, so people don't feel obligated to purchase a presto card.