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In reaction to this week's debate about plans to re-route the No. 1 bus in Old North, a resident of the neighbourhood argues that a noisy minority is drowning out residents in favour of bus service on Colborne Street.

In the past few weeks, there has been much ado regarding the possibility of changes to London's Transit Service, including a change to Route 1 that would bring a bus route through London's Old North.

On Wednesday, about 20 community residents showed up to the first London Transit Commission board meeting of 2019 to vocally oppose these changes.

The LTC changes have largely been approved, with the exception of the change to Route 1, owing to opposition from these community members, largely a contingent of Old North residents.

They believe the proposed bus route will increase traffic in the neighbourhood, "detract from the charm" of the area and, as noted in a petition circulated by the same group, cause "reduced enjoyment of active pursuits in our community including cycling, jogging, walking."

As an Old North resident myself, I am embarrassed by this opposition.

It is often an unfortunate fact of municipal politics that the people who have the time, energy, and resources to make their voices heard do not always accurately reflect what is best for a city or its neighbourhoods.

When it comes to opposing bus access in my neighbourhood, that seems to, once again, be the case.

There is at least a medium to large demographic of us in Old North who are not scared of a bus route ruining our charming neighbourhood. - Ben Johnson

That is not to say that this vocal demographic of Old North residents does not deserve to have their voices heard, only to suggest that the many people who might benefit from improved bus access in our neighbourhood might not have had equal opportunity to voice their views.

The image of my neighbours that ran in the CBC article about the LTC board meeting suggests to me that, perhaps, this is not a diverse and representative selection of the area's residents, but rather a singular demographic, motivated by a shared cause.

Wednesday's public meeting about the route change was held at LTC's head office on Highbury Street at Brydges Street. That's a 40-minute bus trip for Old North residents who don't have a car on a night when temperatures dipped to -20C. Next time, the LTC would do better to hold these public meetings in the neighbourhoods affected by the proposed route changes.

In other words, I think that working-class residents, parents of young children, and students of Old North who are generally too damn busy to organize petitions, distribute leaflets, attend city council meetings and otherwise engage in city politics are clearly not having their voices heard on this issue.

I don't assume I speak for all, but I'd like to suggest that there is at least a medium to large demographic of us in Old North who are not scared of a bus route ruining our charming neighbourhood; that we would actually welcome better access to transit with open arms.

Bus is 'no threat' to Old North

To me, the idea that mass transit will somehow "turn Old North into a traffic artery for commuters" shows a basic lack of understanding of the point of mass transit. There is also no evidence that bus traffic increases crime levels in a neighbourhood.

The suggestion that professional bus drivers navigating "tricky" corners is a safety risk is laughable. And I am yet to see the study that shows that more people sharing vehicles on the road adds to an increase in air pollution.

Instead, what my neighbours are opposing is a bus route that would essentially bring our kids directly to Central High School, the catchment where many of us reside. They are opposing a guarantee that their street will receive priority snow removal. They are opposing the option to leave our cars at home more often or to take trips downtown to have dinner and a drink and enjoy a designated driver for just $2.75.

Some residents of Old North didn't want to see LTC buses operating along Regent Street or on Colborne north of Cheapside. (Andrew Lupton/CBC)

But most importantly, they are opposing the development of accessible transit for people of all incomes, all demographics, and all classes. Opposing options that get all residents of London to the places they need to live and work because you fear it will cause "a significant decrease in property values for homes on the bus route" and have an "impact on [the] desirability of Old North as a place to live" is, in fact, anything but charming.

It's clear to me that a bus route change is not the biggest threat to the perceived character of our neighbourhood.