Too bad for her, she doesn’t live in Hamilton

A lady in Durham Region is raging mad that the region had the nerve to put a bus route in her neighbourhood which passes by her house.

You have to read this article, this lady is quite the character!

Luckily for her neighbours, the region doesn’t seem to be budging to her NIMBYism.

Here in Hamilton, it would be a different story.

The Hamilton Street Railway moves well established bus stops routinely based on single complaints – no public consultation involved or welcome!

In the last two years, two buses stops have been moved/removed by the city because of NIMBYism on one route alone. In both cases, the move/replacement has resulted in worse service for the riders of the bus. The bus stop nearest my place was moved from a flat area onto a hill with a significant slope. What used to be a wheelchair accessible stop is no longer accessible. In the winter, it’s extremely dangerous getting off the bus because of ice on the slope. I fell twice this winter. When I travel to the west mountain area of the city, I used to be able to get off at Queen Street and connect with the bus going up the mountain. I can’t do this anymore as there is no longer a bus stop at Queen for regular buses coming from West Hamilton. A doctor’s office complained about having a bus stop in front of their establishment.

In both cases, the bus stops and buses have been around since prior to 1989 and were very busy stops. I complained to the HSR when I was disability coordinator for the McMaster Students Union about the removal of an accessible stop. The response I received from the HSR was since the stop primarily served students, it wasn’t a big deal and that a wheelchair user who didn’t feel safe getting off on the slope could use the stop before or after.