Saturday 25 October 2014

Keeping PACE with our energy use


During this term of council, I have been proud to serve on London’s Advisory Committee on the Environment (ACE). The committee provides input, advice, and makes recommendations to City Council on environmental matters affecting London.

Aside from firsthand experience with how thing get done at City Hall, serving on the committee has given me a chance to discuss exciting new ideas for improving our city’s environmental performance with smart and committed fellow citizens. One of these proposals I think is so promising that I have included it in my platform: a Property Assessment for Clean Energy (PACE) program.

Here’s how it works: property owners make energy improvements to their homes or buildings. This may include installing high-efficiency furnaces and water heaters, new windows and doors or other air sealing measures, renewable heat sources such as solar and geothermal, and more. Rather than paying the cost of these improvements up front, property owners would pay for them over several years in instalments added to their property tax assessment.


There are several benefits. By making our homes more energy efficient, we reduce carbon emissions that are contributing to climate change. Property owners who participate save money on utility bills, since they are using less energy.  They money they save goes toward paying the loan back, and what remains left over can be spent in the local economy.

Energy improvements are beneficial, but they can have high upfront costs. A PACE program will put these kinds of improvements within reach for families with a wider range of incomes, allowing them to save money and lower their carbon footprint as well.

Another upside to PACE is that even if a family plans to sell their home within a few years, energy improvements still make sense. The new furnace, windows, or other improvements stay with the home and continue generating savings for the new owner. The cost also stays with the property, and the new owners who are seeing the benefits of a more energy efficient home continue to pay for the improvements on their property tax assessment until they are paid for.

The other part of this win-win-win situation is economic stimulus.  There will be many local jobs created for the vendors and installers of qualifying equipment, which means the money being spent by property owners will go to companies in London to employ workers living in the city.

The City of London is currently investigating the benefits of such a program and how it could be implemented here. An ACE proposal in 2013 was passed by City Council, with staff investigating in 2014 for a planned pilot project in 2015. Several US states have made this kind of program available already. Toronto also approved a pilot program in 2013, which they call the Home Energy Loan Program, or HELP.

I have championed a PACE program at the Advisory Committee on the Environment and will continue to do so on City Council. It makes sense to provide Londoners with easier ways to improve energy efficiency at their homes and businesses, and to create a stable environment for employment in this sector. We can help people save money, create jobs, and make London an environmental leader at all at the same time.

Thursday 23 October 2014

How taxes work for you


Taxes are nobody’s favourite. Most people don’t enjoy paying them and don’t enjoy talking about them either. Doing both is important, though. Since property taxes provide the annual budget for crucial city services, Londoners need to understand how they work and so we can discuss how to make them work better.

There’s a brief video by the City of London that explains how property taxes are calculated – using the cost to provide services and the value of properties. It’s even more important to understand where this money goes. Even if you’re not a homeowner, you pay property taxes indirectly through your rent.

About 15% of your property tax bill is a provincial tax to fund education. The rest goes into the annual budget for city services. That includes everything the city provides  police, fire, and ambulance services, roads, sidewalks, transit, parks, trails, museums, recreation centres, and libraries. A breakdown of how much goes to each of those services is available on the city Web site.  Keep in mind that Ontario municipalities receive only 9% of total tax revenues, yet are responsible for over 50% of the infrastructure.


These are things we need as a city, so obviously I can’t promise to make your taxes go away if I’m elected. What I can promise is that I will consider with every decision and vote, whether the proposal at hand provides good value for taxes that Londoners pay. I also will strive to provide you with clear information on how well the city is delivering its services. The city has a responsibility to provide the services that Londoners rely on. It also has a responsibility to collect only as much in tax as it needs to deliver those services, and to do so in a fair and transparent way.

That doesn’t mean we can get rid of everything that isn’t police, garbage collection, or transit. The other parts of the city budget – things like culture and recreational facilities – are also crucial to making London a good place to live, but they need to make sense.

Part of being respectful of the taxes that Londoners pay is making sure that the city grows in a responsible and sustainable fashion. As noted in The London Plan, all growth patterns are not created equal. The more spread out the city becomes as it grows, the less efficient and the more expensive it will be to provide adequate transit, waste removal, and utility services. That means the city would need a higher tax rate to provide these required services.

On the other hand, if London grows in a more compact way – growing up rather than out in areas that can handle it, and finding infill projects that are a good match for the existing community – it will be much easier and less expensive to maintain and improve city services.

On council, I will support budgeting and planning decisions that provide Londoners with good value for the public dollar. I will work to ensure that your taxes are spent in meaningful ways that improve the city, that we take into account how we are going to provide services over the long term, and that you have access to information about how well the city is doing on both of those things.

Taxes still may not be your favourite thing, but you can have more confidence in how they are being used to build and maintain our city.

Tuesday 21 October 2014

Common courtesy for your neighbours


I have heard many ideas and concerns from Ward 6 residents over the last eight months of my campaign. There’s one issue though that has come up at every single debate, and more frequently than others at the door. That issue is student housing.

Londoners are proud of our college and our university. We know how many people they teach and employ; however, they can sometimes be a source of neighbourhood conflict for those living nearby. Ward 6 residents have reported untidy lots, buildings with heritage value left in disrepair, and safety concerns with large numbers of people sharing a single-family home.

How do we find a balance between making sure there is affordable housing for students and young people, while maintaining the character of our neighbourhoods? There are a number of things to consider.

First, there is legal precedent that more than three unrelated people sharing single home makes it a lodging house. Lodging houses are not allowed in R1 residential zones, where only single detached homes are allowed. Some neighbourhood groups would like to see this implemented in London, and in general, I support the idea. Not everywhere is an R1 zone, so lodging houses would still be allowed in higher density residential areas – places that are more likely to have the services, like transit, to support the extra people.

Fixing transit in London will also help our neighbourhoods over time. If students can get quickly and efficiently across town by bus or bike, more will be willing to live farther away from campus. That means they will get to know the city beyond the campus bubble better, and hopefully start to think of London as home. It also means that housing all of the city’s students won’t fall to just a few neighbourhoods in the same way it does now.

In many cases though, students or tenants aren’t the problem at all. Some landlords neglect their properties, putting in the minimum amount of time and money it takes to find renters. This is where we see uncut lawns, buildings in disrepair, and where we start to worry about the safety of some of our student neighbours.

I hope there aren't any properties as bad as this in your neighbourhood!

Some of these landlords aren’t concerned at all about how their properties are reflecting on the community because it isn’t their community. Many live in Toronto or even further away, and own property in London either because their children were once students here, or merely see it as a good investment. We need to make sure these property owners do their part, even if they aren’t around to live with the results.

Most of the things neighbours complain about are covered under existing by-laws, whether it’s maintaining the yard, disposing of waste, or making sure that fire safety regulations are observed. The trouble is that most of these by-laws are only enforced when a complaint gets filed.  

London can do better at holding absentee landlords accountable, for the sake of both long-term residents and renters. We can increase inspections under the Residential Rental Licensing program, and also step up by-law enforcement in targeted areas near campus.

All of these measures will help maintain the character of our neighbourhoods, while keeping all residents safe and allowing them to enjoy their community.

Monday 20 October 2014

The need to feed


In my last post I talked about London’s thriving biotechnology sector. Now, I’d like to talk about one of London’s other economic strengths, and arguably a more widely recognized one – agriculture and food production.

London is geographically blessed in just about every way that matters to the food supply chain. When it comes to growing and producing food, processing it, distributing it, and finally, consuming it, London has everything it takes to be a hub for fresh, delicious Ontario food.

First, we have the farmland. Although most Londoners live in urban areas, London is actually over 40% rural. As The London Plan reminds us, about 90% of the land London annexed in 1993 is Class 1 agricultural land. Only 0.5% of land in Canada is Class 1 agricultural land, which means our ability to grow high-quality produce is valuable.


London is also well-positioned for food processing and food distribution. Dr. Oetker chose London for its new plant because of our skilled workforce and easy access to key markets (as well as some help from the province). We have the right people for the job. More than 6 000 Londoners are employed in the food and beverage processing sector. We’re also conveniently located on two 400-series highways, close to two of the county’s busiest border crossings, and within a day’s drive of 150 million consumers.

Finally, Londoners have a keen interest in consuming food that is locally grown or locally produced. Londoners flock to food-related festivals whenever given the chance. We have an expanding network of farmers’ markets. We have spots like the Western Fair Farmers’ Market that also acts as a start-up space and incubator for new food businesses. We also have three new craft breweries that have opened in London in the past year.

Londoners know instinctively that growing, processing, distributing, and celebrating food are things we do well. Along with medicine and other biotechnology, this is a sector London’s next council should focus on nurturing. We must also make sure that message gets out far beyond our city boundaries, so that other potential Dr. Oetkers know about our advantages. Let’s show the world all of the delicious things London has to offer!

Friday 17 October 2014

The science propelling London's future


Bringing jobs to London is one of the topics that comes up most frequently – at debates, in calls and e-mails from residents, and at the door. I've already told you about my plan to boost entrepreneurship in London, and to make it easier for start-ups to get off the ground. Now I'd like to discuss some of London’s economic strengths: knowing what we’re good at will show us where we can expand and intensify.

On of the areas where we are thriving is biotechnology. Many of us are aware that London's hospitals and university, including a medical school, make us a regional centre for healthcare and health research, but there's more to it than that. Aside from healing people and training people to heal, London professionals develop and manufacture medical equipment and treatment devices, practice high-quality sports and exercise medicine, produce medical imaging technology, and provide support and services to biotech start-up companies.


According to the LEDC, the sector employs more than 21 000 in private sector industry, hospitals and research facilities including more than 2 000 researchers. 

We can build on this strength. Let's continue to highlight our city's biotechnology expertise to the world. It will mean more top-tier medical research and products for Canadians, and more career opportunities for Londoners.

The Stiller Centre for Technology Commercialization is a fantastic start. This facility is designed to help start-ups find markets for their biotechnology ventures. It provides lab space, flexible lease arrangements, and shared services for new enterprises in biotech areas like drug development, medical devices and imaging, cellular therapy, and alternative energy.

TechAlliance, the regional innovation centre for London and surrounding areas, offers programs for start-ups in the life sciences (plus digital media, clean technology, and advanced manufacturing) as well.

Large and small, public and private, London is full of biotechnology success stories. Famous examples include Trudell Medical International, developer of innovative aerosol drug delivery devices, the internationally recognized Fowler Kennedy Sports Medicine Centre, and the Canadian Surgical Technologies and Advanced Robotics Centre (CSTAR), which trains surgeons on minimally-invasive procedures.

As we promote this robust sector of our city to the rest of Canada and the world, London will continue to attract top researchers and entrepreneurs. It’s important that we begin seeing ourselves this way as well – as a place where good, exciting, and innovative things happen.

Thursday 16 October 2014

The many virtues of arts and culture


Arts and culture are integral to what makes a city worth living in. A thriving cultural scene helps to attract and retain residents, and contributes to our sense of community. The arts provide entertainment for weekends and evenings. They give us something to share with our families and friends and encourage us to look at the world in new ways.

What many people don't realize is that arts and culture also contribute greatly to our economy. The arts strengthen and support local merchants, and drive tourism. They also spark creativity and innovation across all sectors.

London's Cultural Profile Report, published in 2013, estimates that the cultural sector contributes $540M per year to London’s economy. In 2011, the city spent $60 per capita on arts and culture, while the cultural sector contributed $1 475 per capita to the city's economy. Obviously this is not an area the city can ignore, not even those who claim to focus exclusively on jobs and economic growth.

At Grosvenor Lodge during Doors Open London & Culture Days

It's clear to me as someone born and raised in London, and who continues to enjoy living here, that we have incredible offerings in this area. The Palace Theatre’s recent production of Death of a Salesman, as well as Doors Open London have reminded me of that fact recently (and I'm sure the Lost Soul Stroll will do the same later this month).

How do we strengthen and promote London's talent, and keep it well connected with other sectors in the city? London's Cultural Prosperity Plan, published together with the profile report mentioned above, gives a few strategic directions on that front:
  • Strengthen the economic growth of culture
  • Support cultural programming
  • Leverage London’s cultural assets
  • Celebrate and promote culture

We also need the right facilities for arts and culture in London. New facilities should accommodate many different artistic offerings, whether they are choirs or theatre, comedy or ballets. There should be room for all sizes of art shows, whether a small collection of visual art pieces or a visiting international act. When the John Labatt Centre opened in 2002, it was built with the multiple purposes of hosting hockey and other sporting events, as well as musical acts and a multitude of other events that have been held there. Why not do the same with any new arts venues?

The Cultural Prosperity Plan is a vision of London as “a culturally rich city that uses creativity of its citizens to make a place that will prosper in a new economic age”. As your councillor, I will work to implement this plan with a focus on leveraging London's existing assets. If this is done well, the other strategies will fall into place more easily.

In the meantime, I'll look forward to seeing you at our performances, museums, and galleries!

Wednesday 15 October 2014

Ward 6 candidate Mike Bloxam proposes changes to overnight parking

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, October 14, 2014

Ward 6 candidate Mike Bloxam proposes changes to overnight parking

When August ended, so did your right to park overnight on city streets for another year. That’s a pain, especially for those who hosted overnight guests during Thanksgiving weekend.

It doesn’t have to be that way, says one candidate for city council in Ward 6. Ending the parking ban that runs from 3 AM until 5 AM for most of the year could actually increase road safety according to Mike Bloxam.

“We spend a lot of effort educating people not to drive when you’ve been drinking, not to drive when you’re exhausted. One of the things we can do to discourage people from getting behind the wheel is to remove that fear of a parking ticket,” Bloxam said. “It also means people will have one less thing to worry about when friends and relatives visit.”

That doesn’t mean it’s a parking free-for-all, Bloxam explained.

“Of course we need the streets clear when snow plows are coming through. We also don’t want to see people owning more vehicles than their home can support with parking spaces; however, some other jurisdictions have creative solutions for overnight parking that I’d like to see London consider.”

For example, overnight parking on the street could be allowed except when the forecast says a significant snow event is on the way. Then, all cars would have to be off the street for 24 hours. The City of Kitchener uses this approach. While overnight parking is more relaxed, any vehicle impeding a snow plow can be towed.

Another approach is to keep the ban on overnight parking, but give residents a batch of exemptions (the City of Waterloo allows 15) they can use at any time throughout the year. Vehicle owners would register the licence plate online, via a smart phone app, or by phone the night they plan to park to receive an exemption. This approach allows overnight visitors without much hassle.  The City of London is currently considering this, but it will be up to the next council to enact such an initiative.

“If elected, I’d ask city staff to take a good hard look at these programs and how they could be implemented in London,” Bloxam said. “If we’re asking people to accept something that’s inconvenient, it should be for a good reason. In this case, I think there are better alternatives.”

- 30 -

Mike Bloxam is running to be your next councillor for Ward 6 in London, Ontario. He aspires for a better London that is an ideal place to live, work, play, and stay.

Campaign hotline: 519-518-2273 | E-mail: mike@bloxam.ca | Web site: www.bloxam.ca | Twitter: @Mike_Bloxam

About Mike Bloxam:

Ø       Mike Bloxam is a born-and-raised Londoner running to be the next councillor for Ward 6.

Ø       He is the owner of a small business – Sun Tap Technologies – and serves on City Hall’s Advisory Committee on the Environment.

Ø       Bloxam has proposed several other ideas that are resonating with Londoners:

Ø       Bloxam’s platform includes further proposals to increase integrity, prosperity, and sustainability in London The full platform can be found at www.bloxam.ca/platform

Tuesday 14 October 2014

Providing the necessities


This Thanksgiving weekend, Londoners sat down to share a meal and to appreciate the fall harvest, and their homes, families, and friends.  Unfortunately, not everybody in our society have the privilege of a home.

Also this weekend (on Friday, October 10), people in London and around the world marked World Homeless Action Day. The focus of the London event, in Victoria Park, was to bring attention to the need for affordable housing and related supports in our city.

At World Homeless Action Day in London

The event was a powerful reminder that homelessness affects all Londoners. While it is the most urgent for those in need of housing, for others it can affect quality of life and confidence in our community.

Last week, I met with Abe Oudshoorn, chair of the London Homeless Coalition, to talk about the details of housing needs in London.

There are approximately 1000 homeless people in London, thought the number can be hard to nail down. That includes not only those who are sleeping on the streets or in shelters, but those who don’t have a permanent place to stay, often bouncing around between the couches and floors of friends or family members. Not all could stay in shelters anyway, because only about 400 shelter beds are available in London.

There are a few things to worry about when aiming to end homelessness. One is finding a new place to live for people who don’t have one. The rest is about prevention – mainly helping prevent people from being evicted or from having their utilities shut off. The province used to do a lot more in this regard. The former Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit (CSUMB) helped people on Ontario Works (OW) or the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP) in exactly these circumstances. When Ontario eliminated it in 2012, it left a gap in these services of more than $4M out of the $9M budget.

London established the Housing Stability Fund to help meet this need. It provides emergency assistance to people facing eviction or utility shut-offs, or who need to move. In the fund’s first year, the demand for these services was double what had been budgeted. That big a difference is unsustainable, and takes resources from other city supports for those in need.


While a lot of this sounds bleak, I also drew some encouragement from my meeting with Mr. Oudshoorn. Some of you may have seen a video being shared on social media lately about Utah’s efforts to end homelessness by – wait for it – giving homeless people homes. The state found that, not only was this approach the most compassionate, it was actually cost effective. Homeless people require a huge amount of resources from our law enforcement and medical systems. Utah found that giving homeless people an apartment and access to a social worker didn’t just make sense in terms of how we should treat fellow citizens; it also made sense for their budget. Portland, Oregon has taken a similar approach, placing more than 12 500 people in permanent housing.

London would never try anything that bold or progressive though, right? Actually, we’re already doing it. London has a pilot project to move 50 homeless who have needed the most resources  in terms of policing and emergency room (ER) visits – into stable housing. It makes financial sense, too. It costs $45 per day to provide space for someone in an emergency shelter. To provide them with an apartment costs $200 per month on top of the $375 covered by OW, so after less than a week the apartment wins out. 

An individual in the pilot had over 200 police incidents in the year before being housed, and now only has had 7.  Another had over 100 questionable ER visits - each visit costs the healthcare system about $700 to see someone - and has now has only been twice for legitimate reasons. This pilot project is something I was thrilled to hear about, and something I think all Londoners should be proud of and encourage to enact here.  Shelters can then become re-housing organizations to get people quickly off the streets and into permanent housing.

On City Council, I will take an approach to homelessness and affordable housing that considers people’s health and dignity, as well as what’s best for our city as a whole. That approach will include: 
  • An expansion of London’s plan to move homeless people into stable housing so that everyone experiencing homelessness is given this opportunity. This expansion would come after a thorough review of the pilot program’s results to make sure it works the way intended;
  • Establishing an appropriate annual increase for the Housing Reserve Fund that will allow the fund to retain its value;
  • Advocating for a new provincial program to replace the cancelled Community Start-Up and Maintenance Benefit;
  • Supporting the creation of a Housing Development Corporation to maximize new affordable housing units.

It’s time we approached housing and homelessness in our city in a way that makes sense, and that puts people first. A society is only as prosperous as its most vulnerable members.

Friday 10 October 2014

Open. Accountable. Accessible.


I have been working hard during the election period to tell you what I stand for. My platform has been on the Web site since August and expanded on the planks in this blog. I've included it in brochures, spoken about it at all-candidates meetings, and spoken with you about it at your doors.

What happens a year or two into the council term when there are issues we haven't anticipated? How can you know now how I will deal with the questions of the future?

Here’s the answer: I will talk with you about them.


I have spoken with you about your priorities and concerns for London at your doors for over six months now. While I won't be at the doorstep as frequently after October 27, I will continue to engage with Ward 6 residents and with all Londoners in a number of ways.

First, I will hold regular office hours and return your calls and emails in a timely fashion. That’s easy to promise, and you can be reasonably assured I will do so, because I’m doing it already. A wide selection of London organizations send surveys to council candidates to make sure voters know their positions on key issues like poverty or the arts. Here’s a selection of just a few: from a student engagement effort to a local magazine, from the London Arts Council and the Middlesex-London Health Unit, to a local blogger. I've responded to each and every survey thoughtfully. I believe I’m the only Ward 6 candidate who has responded to every survey sent out.

Secondly, I will continue to meet regularly with constituents. I support the idea also raised by several candidates in other wards of establishing wards councils. A diverse group of Ward 6 residents representing arts, business, faith, and community groups would meet regularly with me as councillor to advise on issues facing our ward and our city. Regular townhall meetings where anyone can participate and share their thoughts will also be a great way to listen to residents.

Finally, I will listen to the experts. Throughout this campaign, I have been meeting with people who have real experience providing services to Londoners, services like policing, fighting fires, providing childcare, and working with homeless people. By listening to people with firsthand knowledge, I gain a perspective you can't get only from reading reports and policy papers. I will continue to seek out this kind of advice one elected.

I want to thank everyone who has shared their own concerns and priorities with me already, whether at the door, on the phone, or at community events. I encourage you to get in touch with any questions and comments, good or bad, both before the election and after. I've talked a lot in my platform about integrity. One of the things integrity means is that I will keep listening, even if I think I have the answer.

Wednesday 8 October 2014

More than just child's play


I've been asked frequently during this campaign about how to get more Londoners working. Previously, I shared my thoughts about supporting small businesses and start-ups so that more people are able to create meaningful work for themselves. Another important way to help is to remove barriers that prevent people from seeking employment.

One of the major barriers for people getting (back) to work is not being able to find affordable childcare. I've seen this happen to London families myself. 


A few years ago, a friend of mine moved back to London with her toddler son. Because she couldn't find work right away and didn't qualify for employment insurance (EI), she had to rely on Ontario Works (OW) while desperately trying to find a job. 

When she decided to further her education by going back to school, she was unable to find daycare for her son: the waiting list would take almost a year before she could be considered. Unable to find work and unable to go to school, she remained on OW despite her best efforts. She eventually landed a low-paying job that paid incrementally more than OW, but was only just enough to cover private childcare while making a few dollars at the end of the day.

After over a year, she had a small amount of savings and enrolled in courses, but still could not obtain a subsidized daycare spot and had to continue the private method. The delay of having to find or afford childcare means she is now years behind where she could have been in her career and finances.

Her story is not an unusual one. London does provide childcare subsidies for qualifying low-income families, but there is currently a wait-list of over 300 children, and that list is expected to grow. Without a subsidized spot, daycare costs between $40 and $60 per day, per child. That’s the reality for most families who use daycare.

Full-day kindergarten is great news for parents in a lot of ways, since it eases some of the challenge of caring for four- and five-year olds; however, it also increases the challenge of caring for younger children. I sat down with a London childcare provider last week. She explained that it takes more resources to care for younger children, since there’s a higher mandated ratio of Early Childhood Educators (ECEs) to children the younger they are. Since kids are in full-time school at a younger age, daycares are increasingly made up of infants and toddlers. Daycares require more staff and have higher operating expenses per child as a result.

Childcare providers receive funding from the province and from municipalities, which provide about 20% of the funding. Provincial funding will decrease by about $2M in 2016, once full-day kindergarten is fully implemented.

While daycare will be caring for fewer children, they will require more staff and have higher expenses per child. More of the existing funding will go to providing the same level of service, which means there will be less funding available for subsidized child care spots. The wait-list for subsidized daycare is expected to grow.

If London really wants to get people working and keep them there, we need to provide childcare options to parents. As your councillor for Ward 6, I will push for a plan to eliminate the childcare subsidy wait-list, so that no one has to say no to a job because they can’t find someone to look after their child.

Monday 6 October 2014

What a waste


Garbage collection is one of the city’s most basic and necessary services. It is also a service with enormous room for innovation and improvement.

On the pickup end, garbage service helps people keep their home safe and clean. On the other end, how we dispose of that material makes a big difference to our city’s future and our planet’s future.

Containers ascend the conveyor system at the city Material Recovery Facility (MRF).

The provincial target for waste diversion is 60%. That refers to the percentage of garbage that ends up somewhere other than the landfill. Anything that is recycled, composted, or re-purposed fits into this category.

How is London doing on waste diversion? Not great. Our current rate is 44%. Why is that a problem? London’s landfill site, W12A, is only expected to meet the city’s needs for another 15 years. It’s already the size of 190 football fields. Improving waste diversion will help that space to last longer, which would cost over $100 million to expand. It’s time to lay out a plan to meet or exceed the provincial waste diversion target in a cost-effective way.

That plan must include a strategy for organic waste. We do well with recycling, for the most part, and the new items being collected in blue boxes will help. London’s progress on organic waste has stalled in recent years. A Green Bin pilot project was completed in 2012, but we haven’t seen any move since then to roll the program out to all Londoners.

Many festivals (including Sunfest) did not have an organics composting stream this year.

City festivals also began separating organic waste at EcoStations in 2007. It was a great way to make our festivals greener while getting Londoners ready to sort food waste at home. Unfortunately, that step forward disappeared this year as well. London no longer requires big festivals to separate compost at EcoStations, and Home County was the only festival to do it in 2014.

Door-to-door green-bin collection isn't the only possible way for the city to deal with food waste. The city could also look at providing people who live in houses with composters and educate residents on how to use them. Of course, that wouldn't be a solution for people who live in apartments, but it would be a start. 

We can also look at the causes of food waste in the first place, and work to reduce it: the average Canadian throws away one pound (0.45 kg) of food each and every day.  That adds up to nearly 6 million tonnes of waste nationwide that could otherwise feed the hungry or be diverted from the dump. The bottom line is that we can't divert more of our waste away from the landfill unless we deal with compostable food waste.

I've been asked at the door and at all-candidates meetings whether I would support moving London to same-day, once-a-week garbage pickup. Some are passionate about making this change, while others see our rotating system as an innovative way to cut costs and still provide efficient service. I think our system works well for the most part. In addition to the collection calendars delivered each Fall, there are electronic tools available for those who have trouble keeping track of garbage day: the My Waste app and LondonTrash.ca.

If we were to go to same-day pickup, I would prefer to see a waste collection system where recyclable and compostable material is picked up the same day every week, while garbage is collected every other week. Most of the complaints I hear about the rotating schedule are about garbage getting messy and stinky after eight days, especially in the summer. Food waste is the messy and stinky part of garbage. With that removed every week, what remains for bi-weekly pickup should not present those issues.

Along with organics, we can do a better job of dealing with the household waste left behind when people move out. A drive through Ward 6 at the end of Western’s term makes that obvious. There are some great ideas out there to improve this situation, but it needs to be a co-ordinated effort, included in London’s waste strategy.

On council, I will push for a comprehensive waste program that deals with organics and household waste, and increases out diversion rate.

On a final note, some of these subjects are covered in Road Map 2.0, a report city staff have prepared on waste diversion. It recommends that a decision on green bins be deferred until a new review is completed this year. It doesn't propose a strategy for move-out waste.

You can viewthe report and provide your feedback on the city’s Web site. If you are sending in comments to city staff, I’d love to hear your thoughts as well. Comment below, or e-mail me any time at mike@bloxam.ca.

Thursday 2 October 2014

A moving experience


The experience of our city is a collection of places: where we live, where we work, where we play, and where we learn. Each one demands an important part of our time. Getting between these places takes time, too, and that time can often be frustrating.

We need to increase safe and efficient options to get around our city. Making it easy for both people and goods to get where they’re going will improve quality of life for Londoners and help business and culture flourish.

To make sure our transportation network functions well, we need to consider all modes of travel and the people who use them: walking and using mobility aides; cycling and active transportation; local and regional public transit; and commercial and passenger vehicle traffic. The more single-occupancy vehicles we get off the road, the better it is for all travellers: reduced traffic congestion benefits everybody on the move, so that those who still need to drive can get around efficiently, too.


Each of these is a huge topic on its own, and the subject of all kinds of study. I’ll get to a few specifics below, but the most important thing when approaching transportation is a philosophy of giving weight to each. The London Plan does this well: pedestrians can’t be just an afterthought, and neither can cars. Each system needs to work well for the ones who use it.

Here are just a few of the ways for London to improve transportation. 

Walking and mobility devices

  • Plan new neighbourhoods to be walkable. We know that walkable neighbourhoods lead to healthier and more engaged residents. The city’s planning process should favour grid patterns and mixed uses (i.e. some commercial spots in residential neighbourhoods) for new areas.
  • Give people more time to cross the street. Extending signal times at busy pedestrian crossings by just a few seconds can make a big difference in how safe people feel crossing busy streets, especially elders and people with physical disabilities. It can also help people catch their bus on time. I’ve heard from Ward 6 residents time and time again about trouble crossing at Oxford St. and Cherryhill Blvd. and at Sarnia Rd. and Sleightholme Ave., and this is an unacceptable situation.
  • Increase accessibility on our streets and sidewalks. Add more accessible pedestrian signals and cut curbs. This allows people to more easily cross roadways, particularly if using a stroller, a walker, or a mobility device.

Cycling and active transportation

  • Increase dedicated space for cycling, to increase safety. Properly-designed cycling lanes, in a planned network, will increase safety and comfort for both cyclists and drivers. New cycling lanes can either be segregated from vehicle traffic, or along parallel routes where traffic volumes or space on the main road make that a better option.

Local and regional public transit

  • Overhaul London’s bus routes. The radial pattern we have now makes it easy to get to and from downtown, but hard to get anywhere else. We need a grid system with express cross-town routes and connections that service neighbourhoods. This will make it easier to connect between routes and get to all corners of the city, including commercial and industrial areas so that workers can get to their job quickly and on time. (Don't miss out on London Transit's survey, closing October 12th:  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/letstalktransit)
  • Invest in rapid transit. Yes, this will mean a serious investment, whether it’s bus rapid transit or some other system. This is crucial if London wants to be a functional mid-size city in the 21st century. We need to plan not only for where we are today, but where we will be in the future. The provincial government is partially funding rapid transit in Waterloo Region, Hamilton, and Ottawa. London should present a solid, comprehensive rapid transit plan as soon it is feasible to seek this kind of investment in our own community.
  • Foster regional transit. Right now, all trains and busses lead to Toronto. The city should work with the province and with other municipalities to establish regional connections, making people have options to travel to nearby cities and towns. As the major city in Southwestern Ontario, London can and should play a lead role.

Vehicles

  • Scrap the overnight parking ban. Londoners should be able to have family and friends visit without worrying about parking. This will require further discussion with city maintenance staff, but it’s doable. Several other communities of comparable size ban overnight parking during declared snow events only.
  • Establish more carpool and park-and-ride lots near our major highways, at the edges of the city, and on the edges of the core.
  • Improve road safety. Adding facilities for pedestrians and cyclist will help improve security for drivers, too. Other ways to increase safety include: restricting right turns on red lights in areas with high pedestrian and bicycle traffic; adding advanced-left signals when entering or exiting a major artery (such as needed at Wonderland  Rd. and Beaverbrook Ave.); and considering pedestrian bridges across wide, high-traffic roads.

Of course, these aren’t the only things to consider when it comes to London mobility and transportation. As I said, it’s a huge topic. Most importantly, we need to make sure people can get around using multiple modes of traffic, and that they can get to any corner of the city efficiently. As your councillor, I will make it a priority to keep London connected.