HSR to get Twitter and Facebook accounts, finally

It's been years, but at long last, HSR is getting a social media presence.

City councillors approved hiring a social media co-ordinator for Hamilton's transit system on Monday. It's converting one of its vacant ticket-agent positionsand adding a few thousand extra to the operating budgetto pay for the new role.

There were several things we needed to act upon.This was one of them.- David Dixon, head of Hamilton transit

Right now, HSR is not on Facebook, Twitter, or any other form of social media. When David Dixon, outgoing head of transit, arrived in 2014, that surprised him.

"There were several things we needed to act upon," he said. "This was one of them."

The new co-ordinator will be hired as soon as possible, Dixon said. He or she will finally take HSR to Twitter and Facebook, acting as a much-needed digital face when it comes to Hamilton transit.

• Why is HSR still not on social media?

The new role will include apprising people on delays and other relevant in-the-moment information, as well as overall policy changes, Dixon said. It will also get feedback from people.

There are times where I've thought, 'Why am I doing this?'- Jason Nason, @HSRTransit

Toronto's TTC has been on Twitter for seven years. GO Transit has been there for almost as long. Ditto for the transit systems inBrampton, Winnipeg and Vancouver.

In Dixon's former job with the TTV, he said, "we used it extensively."

Until now, the only HSR-relatedpresence has been @HSRTransit, which Jason Nason runs. He'sa Hamilton resident and transit enthusiast with no official HSR affiliation. He just tweets, blogs and postsusing his own knowledge of the transit system.

Better informed about service

"There are times where I've thought, 'Why am I doing this?'" he said. "I always felt like the city didn't appreciate what I was doing, or like what I was doing."

People send compliments and complaints on the service to Nason. Sometimes they think his account is official, even though it's labeled otherwise. Sometimes they just want to vent. Nasongives them contact infofor the real HSR.

An HSR social media presence will endear people to the service, he said.

"You can make someone feel better about what's going on if their bus is late, but you can say 'here's the reason why.'"

Nason saidhe'll probably keep his social media accounts because he enjoys doing it. But he may not do it as often.

City council will cast a final vote next Wednesday.

The city is also in the midst of a larger exercise to rebrand and change attitudes toward HSR.

Entro Communications Inc. is creating a $410,000 marketing plan, which will be presented in the fall. One of itssuggestions is to rename HSR "HSR+."