Burlington’s mayor has delivered his eighth state of the city address.
Rick Goldring has touched on a number of familiar issues including intensification and the need to develop within Burlington’s urban boundary.
Goldring also discussed gridlock saying the solution must include more reliable municipal transit, planned all-day 15-minute GO Train service within seven years, cycling infrastructure and the creation of truly “walkable neighbourhoods.”
He warned against viewing more capacity as a solution, insisting that “when you build more capacity to deal with congestion, it’s like loosening your belt to deal with obesity.”
Goldring adds that city council has started taking steps to improve “reliability of service” at Burlington Transit, approving funding to hire new drivers within the city’s $160-million, 2018 operating budget which was approved earlier this week.
He notes that a new traffic signal management system is also in place, which allows the city to react when situations occur on local roads and highways.
More than 400 people attended the mayor’s state of the city address at the Burlington Convention Centre which also included a question-and-answer session.
Goldring has already signalled plans to seek a third term as mayor when municipal elections are held in October.
He’ll be challenged by former Burlington MP Mike Wallace, who announced his candidacy last week.