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OAKVILLE BEAVER Friday, March 20, 2009 · 2 Oops GO petition gaining support Continued from page 1 DAVID LEA / OAKVILLE BEAVER NO INJURIES: Total damage is estimated at $10,000 after a car crashed through the glass windows and into the ATM area at the Royal Bank at Fourth Line and Speers Road on Thursday morning. The driver of the vehicle, an elderly Oakville woman, is believed to have accidentally hit the gas pedal instead of the break. Police do not expect to file charges. No one was injured in the accident. The bank re-opened later that day. riders and a smaller one for seniors and children. He quickly received more than 1,300 signatures, many with angry comments regarding the provincially-funded agency's decision to raise fares in a time of recession. "It's wrong," said Salmons. "People have unreliable service from GO. It's costing us more when driving is costing less and less." Salmons forwarded his concerns to Halton Conservative MPP Ted Chudleigh, who said he supports the petition and plans to bring it up in the legislature next week. Exactly how he will bring it up is in question. Chudleigh said he might read a statement expressing concern on the issue or, if possible, he would like to ask Transportation Minister (MTO) Jim Bradley an oral question during question period. However, he said he wasn't sure if he would have the chance as other Conservative MPPs might have questions they'd like to present on other issues. Bringing up the issue in question period could backfire for the Tory MPP, who has been front and centre in the legislature in recent weeks attacking the government's spending priorities and handling of the economy. It's an almost certainty Bradley would be oyster perpetual day-date oyster perpetualday-date 18kt 18kt yellow gold yellow gold SOLID WOOD BEDROOM Canadian Made ready with a handful of statistics showing what the current Liberal government has spent on GO Transit expansion and operations compared to the handling of the transit body under the previous Tory government, when former Premier Mike Harris downloaded funding responsibility for GO to the municipalities for a few years. A spokesperson for the MTO said the Province would spend $805.7 million on GO for 2008-09. The Province spent $35.1 million on GO in 1998-99. Salmons, who is 23, said he's unaware what previous governments have spent on GO, and simply wants the current government to pay more now. His petition requests GO reduce the amount it collects from riders to cover its operating costs, currently 82 per cent, and that the Province pick up the difference from general income tax revenue. He said he's not in favour of the Province enacting road tolls to help pay for transit, and prefers that roads remain fully subsidized by taxes. Chudleigh said he believes more provincial money isn't needed for GO to get rid of the recent fare hike. He said the agency needs to find savings in its operations through increased efficiency or elimination of wasteful spending. "I can usually take 10 per cent out of any budget I see," Chudleigh said. For its part, GO said it was taking Salmons' petition "very seriously." "GO recognizes these are challenging times economically," said GO spokesperson Vanessa Thomas. "(But) GO also recognizes the fare increase is necessary in order to provide the best possible service and continue to expand to meet the needs of our riders." The system's on-time performance averaged 88 per cent in the last quarter of 2008 though it's December performance stood at 84 per cent, a two per cent drop from the same month in 2007. Thomas attributed the drop to the snowstorms before Christmas. The agency now posts average on time performance for each individual train at its website www.gotransit.com, by clicking on Schedules. Thomas said the agency also now has a customer service advisory committee made up of one rider from each of the seven train lines and a bus passenger, and it added an extra director to its board with a customer service background. However, Salmons said he isn't getting back on GO until reliability increases and a monthly pass for the Milton line drops to below $200 from its current $260. For a year, the young father took GO from Milton to Union and then the TTC to his job at Yonge Street and St. Clair Avenue, but he now takes his car. He said the amount he spends on gas is less than half what he spent on GO and TTC passes, and the commute takes half the time. He said he doesn't pay for parking, and didn't include the costs of car ownership or maintenance. 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