[All] Fw: Rapid Transit Funding Update
Robert Milligan
mill at continuum.org
Sun Sep 5 22:21:27 EDT 2010
Randy,
Please be a little more generous in your words as you try to
rationalize your position. And consider doing a little more research
first.
Robert
On 5-Sep-10, at 6:27 AM, <randybmclean at rogers.com> <randybmclean at rogers.com
> wrote:
> Kevin:
>
> Sorry still not convinced
>
> Randy
>
> From: Kevin Thomason [mailto:kevinthomason at mac.com]
> Sent: September-04-10 4:13 PM
> To: randybmclean at rogers.com
> Cc: 'Robert Milligan'; 'Louisette Lanteigne'; all at gren.ca
> Subject: Re: [All] Fw: Rapid Transit Funding Update
>
> Randy,
>
> Good points, however with 300,000 more people coming in the next 20
> years we have no choice but to put in the required public transit
> needed to allow the city cores to take the majority of the density
> of the people or the alternative is that you will no longer be
> living out in the countryside - you will be overrun by endless
> kilometers of urban sprawl like Mississauga, Milton or Ajax.
>
> If we want to keep our rural lands and countryside we need to
> accommodate these people in the current urban areas and make it
> appealing to them. Yes, $800 million is expensive but it is the
> same cost as a few bridges over the Grand at $83 million each, or a
> few kilometers of new expressways averaging roughly $14 million/per
> km. Even if we have to come up with $300 million locally it is
> still only a few months worth of the $1 billion/year Regional budget
> and surely we can find a way to come up with it over the next three
> decades - the taxes and user fees of the new folks alone will more
> than pay for it many times over. Rapid transit is still by far the
> cheapest of any of the alternatives - and way better than buses
> which won't even take the capacities they are projecting and will
> still cost almost $600 million.
>
> We have to remember that the rapid transit isn't really being built
> for any of us here now but for the tens of thousands of people who
> aren't even here yet. And don't worry - if we get a successful main-
> line running from mall to mall it won't be long until additional
> lines run from campus to campus. Just look at all the LRT lines now
> in Calgary, Portland, or even emerging cities such as Kuala Lumpur
> or anywhere in China. If they can do it successfully so can we.
>
> What we need to do now is ensure that the LRT or any sort of public
> transit improvements don't die because of mis-information, bad media
> coverage, or a jealous Doug Craig shutting down the entire project
> because he isn't getting trains at the onset like Kitchener or
> Waterloo. Even the CTV poll the other day claiming 72% were against
> the LRT actually was worded more about about increasing taxes than
> public transit. It is amazing that anyone responded that they were
> willing to pay more taxes let alone 28% saying they were willing to
> pay more for better public transit.
>
> This is going to become the major issue of the election (likely even
> more than amalgamation or fluoride). GREN needs to help ensure
> people understand the issue, the consequences one way or another,
> and the possibilities rather than just getting carried away by a
> single budget number taken out of context with no regards to all
> kinds of other capital expenditures already underway such as the
> $500 million in construction happening in town on our university/
> college campuses, the $300 million being spent on new sewage
> treatment facilities, the $450 million being spent on roads in just
> 3 years, the $150 million being spent on GO Transit, the $1.5
> billion being proposed for the pipeline to Lake Erie, etc.
>
> Even the $432 per person capital cost of the LRT cited by the Record
> the other day only works out to $14.40 per year over the next 30
> years. Surely it is worth $14 each for all the benefits world-class
> transit will bring our community be it better air quality, new
> investment, jobs, vibrant urban cores, quality of life, protecting
> our countryside, etc. The costs of not doing this well will surely
> be more than $14.
>
> Kevin.
>
> ----------------------------
>
> On 2010-09-03, at 8:43 AM, randybmclean at rogers.com wrote:
>
>
> I will ask the questions.
> 1/ have major capital, multi-government projects ever had
> significant overruns in cost?
> 2/ has any government ever backed out of their promise to finance?
> 3/ Living in North Dumfries why do I have to pay for something I see
> no use for especially when I only go to Kitchener and Waterloo about
> 2 times/ month and Cambridge about 1 time per week?
> 4/ Why are these end terminals from shopping mall to shopping mall
> and not from education centre to education centre?
> 5/ Does anyone else believe this will never get off the ground?
>
>
> From: all-bounces at gren.ca [mailto:all-bounces at gren.ca] On Behalf Of
> Robert Milligan
> Sent: September-03-10 2:16 AM
> To: Louisette Lanteigne
> Cc: all at gren.ca
> Subject: Re: [All] Fw: Rapid Transit Funding Update
>
> Thanks Lulu. Really great news, finally, especially because the need
> to be frugal can lead to significant technological innovation as in
> India and China. See http://forums.treehugger.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=8551
> & http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/6762f77a-77de-11df-82c3-00144feabdc0.html
>
> If so, things will get even more interesting as the Region
> hopefully struggles to avoid designing an LRT system that -- on
> detailed analysis -- can unfortunately be considered a potentially
> very costly "white elephant". I prefer potentially moderately
> costing successful "green elephants" that can fly fast (between
> terminals at Northfield & Ainslie) carrying many and many types of
> people on their back while very conservatively (my tip of the hat to
> Stephen Harper) using only renewable energy (via solar cells -- for
> UltraBattery charging --covering the terminal areas).
>
> Will our Regional Government have the necessary insight, vision and
> wisdom to dream such a "green elephant" into reality? Or will a
> dream of a potential "green elephant" be forced to become a "white
> elephant" out of conventional bureaucratic fear of thinking outside-
> the-box? It is indeed unfortunate that our Regional Government in
> not supported in such potential creative innovation by a community
> culture of World-class pioneering innovation!
>
> I particularly appreciated the implied openness to some new
> possibilities in Chair Ken Seiling's statement, "Now that we know
> the amount of the federal and provincial funding,we can proceed to
> determine the best balance between available funding and the long-
> term, best interests of our community.”
>
> A key question is, "To help prevent our community's perceived
> innovative potential from being stomped on by a costly "white
> elephant", what IDEAS within the current LRT system design need to
> be enhanced -- with minimum disruption of the existing Environmental
> Assessment -- by better IDEAS (that have become apparent in recent
> months) for successful goal realization so as to be of an affordable
> cost and serve in a timely and equitable manner "the long-term, best
> interests of our community.”
>
> Robert (definitely not in support of same old, same old -- unless
> appropriately enhanced)
>
> P.S.: 1. Check out first how advanced some key Japanese LRT
> manufacturers (especially Kinki Sharyo) are in battery powered LRT
> vehicles, then second the now proven UltraBattery that would likely
> enable my suggested terminal to terminal on-board (braking enhanced)
> electrical energy storage requirements to be met. (The increased
> demand for air conditioning could be supplemented by solar cells on
> the LRT roof and heating for the coldest days
> supplemented by heaters that burn air pollution free hydrogen [that
> we produce ourselves from solar cells over our major land-fill sites].
> i) http://www.asahi.com/english/TKY201008250414.html (I've been
> invited to take a ride on it when they come to the US in late fall,
> viz. "We will again present this vehicle at Innotrans and will have
> a scale model of the vehicle in our exhibit. At that time, the
> whole rail industry will become aware of the vehicle. We plan to
> demonstrate this vehicle in Charlotte NC in the 4th quarter of this
> year. If you would like a ride, let me know."
> ii) http://www.greencarsaregreat.com/blog/east-penn-manufacturing-granted-32-5-million-to-push-for-breakthrough-ultrabattery-in-the-united-states.php6
> (As East Penn will not be set to manufacture these until 2012, I
> have suggested that Kinki Sharyo enhance their demonstration tour
> vehicle to be able to switch between their Lithium-ion battery and
> Furakawa's -- same as sub-licensee East Penn Mfg.'s --proven
> UltraBattery which they manufacture now! Maybe their possible
> discussions with East Penn will lead to this initial action.)
> viz."Additionally, as I explained our vehicle is a platform that can
> be upgraded with new technology as it is advanced. ... if East Penn
> would like to work on a development with us I will float the idea."
>
> 2. I only wish that there was some way to better reach the community
> (beyond a measly 200 word, editor distorted, letter to the Record)
> with viable green IDEAS for the LRT system design -- maybe I can
> create an IDEA to achieve this.
>
> Note: bcc's have been also sent to other parties who might be
> interested.
>
>
>
> On 2-Sep-10, at 8:55 PM, Louisette Lanteigne wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> --- On Thu, 9/2/10, RTInfo <rtinfo at region.waterloo.on.ca> wrote:
>
> From: RTInfo <rtinfo at region.waterloo.on.ca>
> Subject: Rapid Transit Funding Update
> To: butterflybluelu at rogers.com
> Date: Thursday, September 2, 2010, 4:25 PM
> It is my pleasure to share with you some important news about the
> Region of Waterloo’s rapid transit project.
>
> Below you will find the news release from today's announcement.
>
> Nancy Button
> Director, Rapid Transit
>
>
> The Government of Canada announces funding for rapid transit in
> Waterloo Region
>
> (September 2, 2010) The Government of Canada will provide one-third
> of eligible costs, up to $265 million to support the construction of
> the Region's rapid transit project. Prime Minister Stephen Harper
> came to Waterloo Region today to make the announcement.
>
> “We are pleased that the Federal government recognizes the
> importance of the Region’s rapid transit project, and has made this
> funding commitment to the initial phase of the project,” said
> Regional Chair Ken Seiling.
>
> In light of the Federal government’s funding commitment today and
> the Province of Ontario’s commitment of $300 million, the Region can
> now move forward with the planning of the project’s scope, design
> details, cost and Regional funding options. The goal will be to
> identify the Phase 1 project that provides best value to the
> community and is affordable to Regional taxpayers given the
> available federal and provincial funding. Regional staff will
> evaluate various options for consideration and final decision by
> Regional Council.
>
> “Now that we know the amount of the federal and provincial funding,
> we can proceed to determine the best balance between available
> funding and the long-term, best interests of our community,” said
> Regional Chair Ken Seiling.
>
> In June 2009, based on the extensive evaluation and analysis
> conducted during the Rapid Transit Environmental Assessment,
> Regional Council:
> • Approved a light rail transit (LRT) system from Waterloo to
> Cambridge as the Region’s long-term preferred rapid transit system;
> • Recognized that a staged implementation would be required to
> reflect the financial resources required and to ensure the best
> match of transit technology to ridership and intensification
> potential; and
> • Approved the initial phase of the project which includes LRT
> from Conestoga Mall to Fairview Park Mall and adapted bus rapid
> transit from Fairview Park Mall to the Ainslie Street Terminal in
> Cambridge.
>
> For more information on the rapid transit project, please visit the
> website at www.region.waterloo.on.ca/rapidtransit.
>
>
>
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