A bus you can count on

A bus needs to get you where you're going

If a bus gets you to work after your shift starts, the route on the map doesn't help much. The same goes for a missed class, an appointment or picking up your child. I'll judge transit by the whole trip: getting to the stop, waiting, making the connection and getting home again. Riders should be able to plan their day around the service with a reasonable idea of whether it will show up.

I'll ask London Transit to look at early starts, late finishes, weekend work and trips to employment areas alongside busy student and commuter routes. A daytime commute gives us only part of the picture. Riders and employers can help point out the gaps, and the service plan needs evidence to decide which improvements come first. We have limited money, staff and buses. The reasons for choosing one change ahead of another should be available to the people affected.

Reliable transit can also give a household the option to share a car or avoid buying another one. I'll look at whether ordinary trips become more practical and measure what changes. Different neighbourhoods and mobility needs will call for different solutions. Any claim about a particular reduction in congestion needs evidence. The useful starting question is whether someone can reasonably choose the bus for the trip they need to make.

Put the BRT finish on one schedule

My target is to get BRT finished in 2027. London's current program needs a serious push to reach that date. LTC's October 19, 2026 report schedules the east service for fall 2027 and the south for fall 2029. The City's Wellington plans also include civil work in 2028 and 2029, with stations and final surfacing into 2030. I'll put the target and the existing schedule side by side so people can see what has to change. ^[11][12]

Within 100 days, bring the contractors, utilities, City engineers and LTC together around one completion program. Identify the work that controls the finish date, where crews could work in parallel and which decisions are holding things up. Ask for priced options for extra shifts, additional crews and a different order of work. Keep hospital access, emergency routes, safe crossings and access to shops in that program.

There has been alot of disruption already. Open finished sections as soon as they are accepted and LTC is ready to use them. Look at safe temporary stations where they genuinely bring service forward. Publish the remaining work on each section, including permanent stations and restoration, so residents can see the full finish as well as the earlier service benefits.

Buses and drivers need to be ready too. Ask LTC to cost earlier fleet availability, possible short leases and training in parallel with the road work. Check the condition and availability of any proposed vehicles and the effect on other routes. The delivery review needs an operating plan with the people and equipment to carry it out.

The City's May 2026 report records $454 million in approved infrastructure funding for the three BRT corridors, including $176 million from federal and provincial partners. Work within those agreements and the construction contracts already in place. Any added cost for acceleration needs a clear benefit, an identified funding source and approval before it is spent. ^[1]

If the review shows the full 2027 finish cannot be reached safely and within an approved budget, publish the earliest supported date, the obstacle and the options. Keep delivering the sections that can open. People should be able to tell which dates have contractor and utility backing and which are still targets.

Choose a first rail stage we can get moving

Start with one useful rail stage. Compare the east and south BRT corridors, then choose the route with the strongest passenger case and the fewest expensive obstacles. Council considered eventual conversion in 2016. Reuse that work and the current drawings where they still help, and get the missing information early. ^[6]

Favour a route on existing public land, simple accessible stops and a standard vehicle that suppliers can support. Look for a workable maintenance site and a practical downtown connection. A short first stage still needs enough useful destinations and connections to justify its depot, power and operating costs. A small ceremonial line would give London another bill without fixing many trips.

Have engineers review bridge loading, curves, gradients, platform space, street crossings, power and underground utilities before giving credit for reuse. The general conversion research identifies geometry, clearance and station changes as important issues. Any savings from existing infrastructure must be attached to assets we can actually use. ^[10]

Coordinate the remaining BRT work with the rail choice before final surfaces and stations are finished. Where a modest, approved change would avoid digging the same place up again, price it and seek the funding partner's agreement. Keep BRT opening work moving while those choices are made.

Finish the first stage decisions in year one

Treat 2027 as a delivery year for the rail plan. In the first three months, gather the existing drawings, passenger data and utility records, compare the east and south options and agree on a preferred first stage. Ask suppliers and contractors about delivery capacity at the same time. That early market advice needs to be available to everyone who later bids.

During the middle of the year, complete the initial business case, operating concept, functional design, construction sequence and funding request. Compare the rail option with improving BRT. Check peak loads, ordinary daily trips, transfers and slower growth. Bring in riders, disability organisations, businesses, neighbourhoods and Indigenous communities while the route and construction choices can still change.

Start the environmental and other approval work in parallel once the scope is clear enough. Ask Ontario to confirm the applicable process. Its guide expects substantial preparation and consultation around the formal assessment period. The approvals and final design needed for the first physical package must be complete before that package starts. ^[7]

By the end of 2027, aim to have Council's route and delivery decisions, the first construction package designed and priced, its permissions secured and a tender ready. The planning ceiling is firm. The initial review must establish whether that package can be prepared within it. Full corridor engineering, every later construction drawing and an operating railway cannot be guaranteed by that allowance.

The deadline applies to the first stage plan and the permissions needed to begin it. Later packages must receive their own necessary designs and approvals before they proceed. If an essential first package task will miss the date or exceed the planning cap, report that early and explain what it means for the 2028 start. Thats part of making the schedule useful.

Buy useful work and keep it moving

Use specialist contractors where they can deliver a defined piece of work more quickly or at better value. Keep the team small, set clear deliverables and have one City lead responsible for coordinating the packages. Publish the price, dates, accepted work and approved changes. Pay for work that meets the contract and keep enough technical oversight to catch a problem early.

BRT construction already has contracted suppliers. Ask the existing firms for priced acceleration options. Where work can be separated cleanly, let other qualified firms compete for it through the proper process. Changes of provider need a net benefit after transition and coordination costs. London's procurement policy governs competitions, contract changes and who can approve them. ^[14][15]

For rail, invite comparable prices for conventional and prefabricated track, standard platform components and simpler construction methods. European rail research has developed modular track and faster installation approaches. Ask bidders to demonstrate suitability for London's ground conditions, winter operation, maintenance and expected passenger loads. Count savings when the proposal supports them. ^[13]

Review the whole cost of each bid, including the City's own oversight. Tie any proposed early completion payment to accepted work and a demonstrated benefit. Extra shifts should earn their cost through a shorter, better coordinated program. Keep public ownership of the plans and records so the City can manage the work and obtain competitive prices for the next package.

Start physical rail work in 2028

The target for year two is physical construction on the chosen first LRT stage. A suitable first package could be a necessary utility diversion, rail formation or preparation of an approved maintenance site. Its design must show how it serves the selected railway and fits the funded delivery plan. Another study, a general road repair or a photo opportunity would not meet that commitment.

Keep the first year planning limit at $1 million, brought forward into 2027. The budget chapter sets out that allocation and a separate ceiling for the first physical works in 2028. Each package needs a measured scope, a professional estimate, competitive pricing, the necessary permissions and an identified funding source before release. Select useful work that fits the ceiling and the approved route.

Before the main rail works are committed, Council needs the complete first stage capital cost, inflation allowance, contingency, net operating cost, renewal plan and financing. Compare Canadian project costs on a consistent basis and explain the differences in scope. Existing BRT contributions and possible future grants must be kept to their agreed uses. ^[8][9] The cost detail is in the budget chapter and the full plan PDF.

Keep accessible bus service operating through the work and coordinate construction around the routes people rely on. Buying standard vehicles, reusing verified infrastructure and building a useful first stage can keep the scope under control. If the first package cannot be legally and usefully delivered within its approved limit, bring the schedule and scope back to Council before spending it. The 2028 date is a construction start target; the passenger opening date needs its own delivery program.

Give reliability a proper operating budget

The London Transit Commission operates, repairs, controls and manages local transit, including conventional and specialised services. Council and the Commission have separate responsibilities and a required policy relationship. ^[3] As mayor, I'll bring people together, propose budget priorities and seek Council support. LTC's operational role matters when we discuss routes and service changes. Residents deserve to know who can make the decision they're asking for.

I'll ask LTC for public starting figures on missed or cancelled trips, crowding and reliability by route and time period where data allows. An average can hide poor evening service or an unreliable corridor. Reports should explain delays linked to congestion, construction, vehicles and staffing, and be clear when the exact cause is uncertain. That detail helps identify which changes could actually improve a rider's trip.

The improvement package needs the full ongoing price: operators, supervisors, mechanics, cleaning, fuel or energy, spare buses and depot capacity. I'll bring budget options explaining what each buys and what other work it would displace. Some connection problems may be helped by an operational adjustment with little extra service time. I'll ask for those possibilities to be considered alongside options needing more staff and money.

Make it possible to reach the bus

A feeder arriving just after the main bus leaves can add a lot of time to a short trip. So can a last connection that ends before a shift. I'll ask LTC to check important transfer points and employment destinations against actual work schedules. Employers, schools and riders can help identify problems, with service decisions kept public and supported by evidence. The return journey deserves the same attention as the trip in.

A curb ramp, snow clearing, a safe crossing and readable detour signs can decide whether a person reaches the stop at all. I'll seek a ranked access program with City transportation staff and LTC, developed with disability organisations and riders. Immediate safety and accessibility barriers deserve attention, and each site needs clear responsibility for clearing and maintenance. The path leading to the stop is part of usable transit.

Shelters and seats need space, installation money and ongoing upkeep. I'll ask for site criteria and maintenance costs to be published. Specialised transit also belongs in the reliability discussion, including appropriate booking, accommodation and trip delivery measures. People need options that fit their mobility needs. Improvements to conventional service should work alongside specialised transit and other accessible travel arrangements.

Keep the information useful during construction

Construction can move a stop, break a transfer or turn a familiar trip into a guessing game. I'll seek coordinated disruption information across City construction updates and LTC notices. It should show accessible temporary stops, when a change starts, the expected duration and where to find updates. Printed notices at stops matter too, especially when someone learns about the change halfway through their journey.

Major projects should identify transit access before work begins, including the walk from temporary stops to homes and businesses. Underground surprises can change the plan. A fallback arrangement and prompt updates give riders something to work with when that happens. Businesses also need to know how staff and customers can reach them, and everyone needs a way to report an unsafe temporary route.

Arrival information should make clear whether a bus is actually being tracked or simply shown on the timetable. Accessibility details should be easy to find. I'll ask what existing tools do well and where practical gaps remain before buying another system. Any technology proposal needs someone responsible, an upkeep budget and a way to check whether riders find it useful. Sometimes fixing a confusing notice is the quickest improvement we can make.

Be clear about cost and progress

Within 100 days, publish the BRT acceleration review and the first rail work program. Bring the year one planning allocation through the budget and aim to complete the first rail stage decisions in 2027. For 2028, publish the exact physical package before award and show progress against it each month. Keep bus reliability and stop access work moving alongside it.

The budget should separate construction grants, fares, municipal contributions and other confirmed support. A grant for infrastructure may leave the City funding drivers and annual maintenance. If we need a bigger municipal allocation, I'll explain what service it purchases and the budget effect. If part has to wait, residents should see which part and why. Those are choices people deserve to understand.

Through the term, I'll seek quarterly updates connecting spending to delivered service. Are missed trips falling? Are difficult connections improving? Is agreed access work finished? Targets should follow the baseline and approved service plan. And if the numbers improve but riders keep flagging the same problem, we should look closer. The point of the reporting is to help make the daily trip more dependable.