Posts about transport, public transit, and sustainable mobility.
HSL’s fare increases affect everyone who travels by bus and train in the HSL area. Rising prices reduce ridership, which in turn increases the pressure to raise prices further, and the whole system spirals into decline. A flat percentage rise costs most in euros for those living furthest away. That is why I oppose HSL fare increases. The funding model would be fixed by ending the infrastructure compensation agreement, which shares costs unfairly and moves the pressure onto ticket prices.
A rail connection is basic infrastructure, like a road or a water main. The Western Rail Link is coming because its largest funders, Espoo and Turku, approved the shareholder agreement. As a Kirkkonummi councillor I voted for joining, so that the north of the municipality would have got a commuter rail station. The car does not need to be everyone’s primary mode of transport. The category also includes a Market Greens programme I co-signed, which proposes dynamic road-usage charges for growing cities and abolishing parking minimums.
Related posts
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Raising HSL ticket prices is a mistake
HSL plans fare rises of about three percent a year in 2027–2029. A flat percentage hits Kirkkonummi hardest, where commuting requires an ABCD ticket.
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More Markets!
Five proposals that harness the market mechanism to solve problems in transport, urban space, public procurement, and land use.
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The West Railway revealed problems in Kirkkonummi's governance
The West Railway decision revealed shortcomings in Kirkkonummi's strategic planning. The municipality risks bearing the costs without the benefits.
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I voted for the Western Rail Link
I voted for Kirkkonummi to join the Western Rail Link. The decision determines whether Northern Kirkkonummi gets a commuter rail station.
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Public transport cannot keep getting more expensive
HSL plans significant fare increases for buses and trains. This risks a downward spiral — fewer users means more pressure to raise prices further.
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New year, familiar poor winter maintenance in Kirkkonummi
Kirkkonummi's winter maintenance has again proved as poor as in previous years. It does not have to be this way — we can choose to demand quality.
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Things were better before
That is, for light traffic — pedestrians and cyclists. What if we stopped building society on the terms of private car use?
