Not surprising, some municipal transit services recorded higher numbers of people using buses and trains and found that coupled with saving a few bucks, it could be convenient and healthy.

For once politicians, environmentalists and the ordinary Joe agreed that maybe public transit could be worthwhile, if it was cost-effective, accommodating and efficient.

Public transit advocates received an even bigger boost when the provincial crown-corporation, Metrolinx, announced its own massive “Big Move” transportation masterplan to spend almost an unheard of $50 billion over 25 years to transform the Greater Toronto and Hamilton’s ignored transportation infrastructure.

For years it has become embarrassingly obvious that GTHA’s transportation system is woefully inadequate considering the nearly 24-hour gridlock that manifests itself along our highways, and near constant breakdowns on the GO bus and train lines. It is also frightening to consider that with an expected population growth of 50 per cent over the next 25 years, the current transportation system is sorely unprepared to handle any further user increase.

So why are Hamilton politicians, who have been trumpeting the city’s expanded public transit system, and exhaustively calling attention to the city’s purchase of its new hybrid buses, considering raising bus fares for the sixth time in 10 years, and the third time in just over two years?

City staff are arguing that to cover the $3.7 million operating expense for the transit service projected in 2009, the cash fares should jump from $2.40 to $2.50, the senior pass will increase from $206 to $216 per year, adult passes will rise from $79 to $84 per month and student passes will bump up from $63 to $68 per month. The extra revenue and expected transit growth, staff argue, will cover about $3.5 million in expenses, with the other $200,000 paid for by taxes.

City staff is adding some sweeteners to the fare hikes. They will introduce a “Golden Age” pass for those seniors over 80 years who will be able to ride for free, and a summer youth pass implemented during July and August for students under 19 and which transit staff believe will pay for itself, and planned expanded service along Rymal Road.

This is all well and good, but isn’t it time Hamilton politicians and transit officials stop and think about what is best for the community? In an age of enlightened environmentalism, where Hamilton’s air quality has become worse over the years, shouldn’t public transit be, if not free, at least more welcoming to the public? For goodness sakes, Hamilton politicians almost fell over themselves to approve the city’s light rail transit service, despite its $1.1 billion price tag.

And what about the 18 per cent of the population who live in poverty? How will those families travel to work, visit friends, or simply go to the grocery store to buy food? An efficient bus service is no good to that person who can’t afford the proposed $2.50 cash fare.

And casting a long shadow over the entire fare increase issue is the obscure situation within the transit system that has seen revenue evaporate, and potentially bureaucratic bungling at its worst.

Also insulting to opponents of a bus fare increase is the deceptive way politicians and transit staff are orchestrating the Nov. 14 vote. Usually, councillors give the public a chance to voice their views. This year, though, politicians are expected to vote on the fare increase –without public comment -so it can be implemented on Jan. 1, 2009, then welcome people to voice their displeasure.

For a Hamilton administration that has prided itself on being “green and clean”, it is instead resorting to the oldest political tricks in the book to cover its hypocritical face behind mendacious bureaucratic tricks.

Hamilton residents have welcomed the city’s commitment to an efficient, affordable public transit system. It’s time politicians started following their own public pronouncements with decisive and progressive action.