Why I Became a Transit Advocate
I grew up in a small town about 15 minutes outside of Brockville where transit was nonexistent – not even a thought in the minds of most kids. To get around, you took your bike, went by foot, or, in the odd case you had a sleepover at your friend’s house across town, asked mom.
It was not until I was around 17 years old that I even knew transit existed in Brockville. I remember being almost stunned upon hearing the news. It was such a foreign thought to me – a bus route? In Brockville? Where does it even go? Turns out it did not go very far. Primarily used as paratransit, it only had a handful of stops through the city: box stores, grocery stores, the LCBO, and heading east into the next hamlet.
I did not take my first solo bus trip until I was 23. I remember it was a stormy winter evening, I had just finished my shift at work, and my friend was playing music in downtown Kingston. Sadly, I had to inform him I was unable to get there, going by foot would have taken too long and I did not want to take a taxi. My friend suggested the bus (he was a bus driver in the past) and in minutes I was able to google the quickest route to get there. I was so nervous but there was a man behind me who struck up a conversation and helped me settle in. His name was Ryan and he was going to the same place. A simple and what would seem insignificant event revolutionized the scope of transit in my mind.
Over the years I have used the Kingston transit system on countless occasions, to make interviews, classes, dates and work, as well as visit friends and family. It truly is incredible how much your life opens up when you not only get access to reliable transit but become transit literate. This is why it is important for youth to have accessibility to transit. Because there are youth out there that want to visit grandma, go to their part-time job, make it to practice on time, and go hangout at the mall with their friends. With initiatives such as Get on the Bus, we can help make all of this possible.
