Pie Palace

On Friday I went to the video screening about the L.A. bus rider’s union (previously mentioned here), and part of the workshop on Saturday. As far as I can tell, nothing more came out of the event than some folks at UpCollective saying “Yes! We’re thinking about starting a bus rider’s union!” but they haven’t said exactly how someone who wants to get involved (me) can go about getting involved.

One interesting point is that the BRUs started elsewhere have been organized as advocacy groups for the “transit-dependent”. That hyphenation is used to describe people who need buses to get around, not those who choose to use buses to get around. They’re primary concerns are availability, usability, safety, and dignity. Which seems fair. Another point is that the other BRUs have been started as civil rights groups, aimed specifically at helping groups who usually get shat on, namely women, non-whites, and the poor. I initially shyed away from this focus, but the more I think about it, the fairer I think it is.

A few interesting tidbits from the meeting:

• Creating train lines are really, really expensive. Expensive to the point of devouring huge portions of transit budgets, but providing next to no service. (In LA in ‘94, the train line was eating 70% of the transit authority’s budget, but serving only 6% of the ridership)
  
• These folks really get off on using terms like “anti-imperialist”, “class”, “women of colour”, “radical organizing”, “anti-colonial”, and “oppression”. That really makes me cringe. The points that they are raising are all good, and I agree with them, but wrapping their ideas in ’60s rhetoric does not make me want to get involved.
  
• Research is one of the hardest parts about organizing. There are two fronts for research: budgetary processes and city hall (ie, digging up numbers on where money is being spent, who is benefitting, etc); and “Participary Action Research”, which involves interviewing bus riders and getting testimonials on how service changes effect them. The PAR stuff seems to be mostly an empathic form of research: the goal isn’t to get hard numbers or information, it’s to get an idea of how bad things can really be. The cynic in me suspects that PAR is just used to get heart-wrenching stories to use when talking to the media, but I could be wrong.
  
• A BRU can use a number of tactics to try and modify the behaviour of the system: refusing to pay for a ticket unless some condition is met (there is seating on the bus is one good example); showing up at transit meetings and making pleas (or, if that fails, making a ruckus); court injunctions if some action of the authority violates it’s charter.

My notes from Friday night’s video follow:

- Started with some guy reading a limerick.
	
Notes on seeing \"Bus Riders Union\"
- In LA, train is used by rich white folks. Receives 70% of funding, but only
  6% of ridership. Similar to Ottawa?
- Got a court injunction to prevent fare increase (1994)
  - Apparently, transit authority violated one of their charter conditions
  - SucceededA
	
- Victory: bus riders got to sit at table when MTA makes decisions. Unclear
  what leveel of participation was allowed. What decisions could they get
  involved in?
	
- encouraged bus riders not to pay when there are no seats availale.
- busridersunion.org
- Most interesting bit: last ten minutes when talking about \"no seats, no
  fare\"
	
TALK:
- Sharmeen Kahn, talking about bus riders union formation in Vancouver
  - Saying that rail lines aren't used often, but cost lots. Therefore makes
    sense to spend money on busses.
  - They had a fare strike
  - Concerned about increase of rent-a-cops on transit. Who can carry guns.
    - Allegedly harress folks alot
  - Bus riders don't feel like they can do anything about fare increases. \"No
    sense of ownership\"
  - Concerned about \"transit-dependent\" folks, who have no choice but to take
    transit. Single moms. Immigrants. Old. Disabled.
  - Doing air-quality sampling
  - Transit is a human right
  - Enjoyed \"direct contact\" organizing: getting on bus and talking to people
  - Slow struggle
  - Went to monthly meetings of transit authority
  - Successes:
    - Getting back night busses
    - Growing membership
  - Been around since 2002
  - Sharmine ???
	
- Showed poster of 12 councillors who voted for the fare hike
  - Rick Charelli
  - Maria McRae
	
- Cam Johnstone (CUPE 5500, prez)
  - 140 transit workers: rent-a-cops, transit supervisors, fleet supervisors
  - Upcoming stuff:
    - Threat o privitisation: RPAM (Real Property Asset Management), bus
      garages operating privately.
    -
  - March 7, 2005:
  - His rent-a-cops fired. 6 cops patrolled garages. Fired last year.(July 1,
    2004). Within 3 months of privitization, over $100,000 damage of stuff on
    property.
    - Payed March Networks to add video surveillence
    - Payed for lights
  - Get councillors to push public transit for election in November
  - Talked to Alex Munter:
  - John Bonsell: planner of current system
  - Disses trains. Says municipality can't afford trains without all 3 levels
    of gov't paying.
  - Where are the press tonight?
  - Transit supervisors
    - Hang out at bus terminals and \"help\" people
    - Lost 5 since amalgamation
  - Folks from every socio-economic class take bus
    - Good opportunity to organize people from every class
	
QUESTIONS FROM AUDIENCE:
- How much money is going into LRT on Albert? Can we not convert bus engines
  to something environmentally friendly with that cash?
  - Fleet is entirely deisel. City staff recommends diesel/electric hybrids.
    - City looking into natural gas, cause of private proposal
  - No numbers. David Jeans (Transport 2000) sez:
    - $725 mill for infrastructure to LRT. 1/4 - 1/3 for downtown portion.
    - Ottawa is buying lots of new busses.
      - Mostly targeted at peak hr suburban commutes. These routes are being
        targeted for cut-backs.
      - No service standards for OC Transpo. Crappy for ensuring that shift
        workers make it to jobs on time.
      - City hired consultants in 98 to recommend stuff. Consultants
        recommended that fares increase at rate of inflation.
        - Current rate is 2x inflation.
      - Peak suburban routes don't cover own cost. 45% of cost.
      - Crowded routes (downtown) pay almost 100% of cost.
	
- Want more information on privatization. Raise point: ParaTranspo has been
  contracted out since late 80s, has been changing ownership 3-5 times since.
  Blue Line, Laidlaw, First Bus. Maintenance has gone downhill steadily since
  then. We (?) tried to get CoO to take ownership of ParaTranspo. But city is
  washing its hands of maintenance and control of my public service. This
  needs to be put onto the agenda. City must take back our public transit.
  - Cam:
    - OCT offers free use of regular routes for mobility impaired. Then
      changed their minds. Now charging fee.
    - Private busses using public facilities. ie: Leduc bus lines. Suspects
      that private lines will move onto public routes.
    - Formula for certain routes to provide a level of revenue generation. If
      they don't provide that level of revenue, they're cut.
	
- Jeremy Wright, organizing hybrid group with city of Ottawa. Crude Awakening.
  Preparing Ottawa-Gatineau for peak oil. CrudeAwakening.net. Looking at
  transportation. Wants to shift some of $600 mill off road construction, onto
  public transit. Wants to get groups to talk to one another. Riders, to bus
  drivers, to businesses.