With London Transit bus drivers set to strike on Monday, Nov. 16 at 12:01 a.m., The University of Western Ontario is urging students and employees who normally take the bus to and from campus to make alternative plans.
University administration and student leaders are continuing to work on plans in response to the potential strike. Mediation between London Transit Commission (LTC) bus drivers (Amalgamated Transit Union Local 741) and the LTC failed to produce an agreement and no further talks are scheduled.
“We remain hopeful that a transit strike will be averted, but continue to work hard on plans to help students, staff and faculty have safe commuting alternatives to get to and from campus if an agreement is not reached,” says Gitta Kulczycki, Western Vice-President (Resources and Operations).
In the event of a strike, Western will remain open and classes will continue. Students are expected to attend classes and employees will be required to report to work as usual.
Alternatives for those who normally take the bus include:
WALKING If you live within a few kilometres of campus, consider walking. For those who have to walk at night, walk with friends and stay in well-lit areas.
BIKING Information on cycling in London, including bike paths throughout the city can be found at https://www.london.ca/d.aspx?s=/Transportation/bikepage.htm
Register your bicycle with the Campus Community Police in Room 57, Stevenson-Lawson Building. Information on keeping your bike secure on campus can be found at https://www.uwo.ca/police/bikesecurity.htm
SHARING A RIDE The university is developing a web portal to assist students and employees who wish to coordinate rides with others in the campus community. Information will be shared in the coming days. Students and employees who drive to campus are encouraged to share rides with friends and colleagues who may have trouble getting to campus in the event of a strike. Those who share rides may consider sharing parking and fuel costs. Parking spaces are available on campus. Temporary parking passes for those who don’t normally drive to campus are available for purchase through Parking Services.
Those who drive are reminded to allow for extra time as roads may be congested due to increased traffic.
“We understand the anxiety students are feeling and we want to assure them that maintaining their safety during a transit strike is our paramount concern,” says Emily Rowe, University Students’ Council president.
“As we work with university administration on contingency plans, we appreciate students’ patience and ask that their frustrations not spill over to the bus drivers.”
Western will provide regular updates to the campus community via UWO email accounts and at www.uwo.ca
