Dear editor,

How best to increase bus ridership? Getting motorist to stop or reduce the use of their car is very difficult. A different approach might be to start with children鈥檚 attitudes towards transportation. In Odense, Denmark, some schools have banned cars completely. Children arrive by walking, biking, skateboard or school bus. And Odense is a city of 200,000.

We should examine what those cities are doing differently. By making 鈥渁lternative transportation鈥� the norm from a very early age we change future behaviours and choices.

Why do we set our cities up so that people 鈥渘eed鈥� a car to get around? Increase dedicated bike/pedestrian paths (not on roads with cars). Charge for parking in certain areas of city during peak hours. Give people an incentive to change their habits.

These are some thoughts on how to increase bus ridership. Remember if you鈥檙e in a car then you are traffic. Don鈥檛 complain; make a change.

Natalie Fisher

Courtenay