[All] Prosperity, Trails and LRT

[Robert Milligan]

Great work Kevin.  First we learn more from the World, then the World  
will learn more from us.

Robert M


On 14-May-12, at 3:30 PM, Kevin Thomason wrote:

> Good day!
>
> Over the past few weeks I have been lucky to be able to travel to a  
> number of great cities across Asia and Europe with my girlfriend.   
> In several places we were able take the time to study how these  
> rapidly growing cities are innovatively working to address urban  
> sprawl, environmental issues, global warming, energy challenges and  
> provide the highest quality of life to their citizens.
>
> One city in particular - Strasbourg, France we travelled to  
> specifically to see how a city in steep decline in the 1970's has  
> been transformed into one of the most progressive and desirable  
> cities in the world.  Their transformation has taken place by  
> converting more than two dozen streets to pedestrian priority zones  
> - limiting vehicular traffic and prioritizing for pedestrians,  
> bicycles and LRT's - thus ensuring their city is dominated by  
> people, not cars.  They have built five LRT lines over the past 17  
> years that cover their core and branch out far into the suburbs (and  
> even countryside in some places), they have built an amazing 500  
> kilometres of bicycle trails with dedicated lanes and encouraged  
> people to bring their bikes and strollers on the LRT.
>
> Strasbourg is also working to ensure desirable destinations  
> converting former roadways and parking lots into town squares, wider  
> sidewalks for cafes, encouraging shoppes and tourism.  Even little  
> details such as ensuring citizens could buy high quality little  
> wheeled carts to wheel home groceries easily on low floor transit  
> (also highly handicapped accessible) and ensuring lots of easy to  
> find public washrooms has been integral to their success.
>
> The result has been an incredible transformation from a city in  
> decline, challenged by dramatically increasing crime rates and an  
> exodus of citizens, to a thriving community of 650,000 people (just  
> a bit bigger than Waterloo Region) that is now the location of the  
> EU Parliament, a booming economy, one of the highest qualities of  
> life in the world, and a city that has one of the lowest carbon  
> footprints and rates of energy use despite a winter climate  
> equivalent to that here in Waterloo Region.
>
> You can see from the photos below the resulting city is fantastic,  
> every LRT is full of riders, their suburbs and most places in the  
> city (even neighbouring Germany) is easily reached in just a few  
> minutes on any LRT and transit route.
>
> Strasbourg also focused on creating strong railway connections to  
> neighbouring cities and despite being more than 500km and almost the  
> full width of France distant, Paris is only two hours away on their  
> high speed rail line with more than 10 trains each direction daily.   
> Few people feel the need for an automobile and bike-sharing and car  
> sharing programs are widely available throughout the city.
>
> More than 60% of their LRT lines run on grass and most are lined  
> with trees - creating wide strips of green through the city -  
> replacing vast stretches of concrete and even further reducing the  
> quiet noise and vibrations of the passing LRTs.
>
> It is so important to the future of our community here in Waterloo  
> that Kitchener Council vote tonight in favour of the investment to  
> improve our local trail networks.  It was wonderful to see the  
> recent City of Waterloo trails endorsement and the ongoing progress  
> of our own LRT system.  One can hope that in the coming years we can  
> be as successful and create as great of a quality of life in our  
> community as Strasbourg.
>
> Please let me know any questions and lets see how we can make our  
> community one of the leading communities with the highest quality of  
> life in North America in the coming years.
>
> Kevin Thomason.
>
> -----------------------------------------
>
> <DSC_7744.jpeg>
> A sleek, modern ground level LRT in the central station in  
> Strasbourg, France
>
>
> <DSC_7688.jpeg>
> One of the dozens of streets closed to cars and instead enjoyed by  
> pedestrians, bicycles and cafes.  In the foreground this gate/post  
> system still allows delivery and other vehicles in as needed.
>
>
> <DSC_7730.jpeg>
> Bicycles are encouraged on the LRT and plentiful bike racks  
> throughout the city make it extremely easy to get around.
>
>
> <DSC_7734.jpeg>
> This parking lot has been moved underground and the area turned into  
> a thriving square, plaza and fountain area in the core of the city.
>
>
> <DSC_7790.jpeg>
> An LRT coming into a station in the Eastern city suburbs.  Note the  
> grass and trees - just budding into leaves the same as Canada at  
> this time of year - used wherever possible.
>
>
> <DSC_7794.jpeg>
> Clear signage makes the system easy for everyone to use.
>
>
> <DSC_7795.jpeg>
> And an electronic payment system makes it convenient and  
> affordable.  A ride anywhere in the city costs about $1.80 Cdn, an  
> all day unlimited pass costs about $5.00 Canadian.
>
>
> <DSC_7818.jpeg>
> An LRT coming into a suburban station.  Note the use of grass right  
> up to the station and the people waiting for the train with  
> bicycles, buggies, etc.
>
>
> <DSC_7890.jpeg>
> The view from the cockpit of the LRT as the train goes through an  
> intersection onto the grassy and tree-lined median in a northern  
> suburb of Strasbourg.
>
>
> <DSC_7900.jpeg>
> The broad mix of transportation choices that have been so integral  
> to Strasbourg's success are shown here - the two lane paved bike  
> road on the left, the LRTs in the centre, the road on the right and  
> the sidewalk for pedestrians on the far right with lots of greenery  
> between them all.
>
>
> <DSC_7906.jpeg>
> Some LRT medians are so green and tree-lined it is like creating a  
> park the length of the city!  If they can do this in compact, space- 
> challenged Europe amongst 600 year old buildings surely we can do  
> this in vast, spacious Canada.
>
>
> <DSC_7948.jpeg>
> LRT's, pedestrians, bicycles and cars mingle together in the core  
> quite successfully.  Notice the clearly labelled public washrooms on  
> the left.
>
>
> <DSC_8080.jpeg>
> The dedicated bike lanes and trails are well marked, segregated and  
> signed too - lit here even at night.
>
>
> <DSC_8091.jpeg>
> The LRT's are still busy at night too.  The huge windows and flat  
> floor on these models of LRT trains are wonderful.  Each train can  
> hold up to 300 riders and is far more efficient than buses.
>
>
> <DSC_8168.jpeg>
> Another example in a Western suburb of a road on the left, a paved  
> two lane cycling path, and then the LRT lines running on a natural  
> grass surface.
>
>
> <DSC_8236.jpeg>
> A final photo of central Strasbourg showing the road on the left  
> (and some of their buses including one at the LRT station), an LRT  
> train, a well marked dedicated cycling lane on the right, bike  
> racks, trees, and the pedestrian sidewalks on the farthest sides of  
> everything.
>
>
> Please be bold, innovative, and help ensure that Waterloo Region  
> will be as globally successful as this thriving city in the future!
>
> -------------------------------------
>
> Kevin Thomason
>
> 1115 Cedar Grove Road
> Waterloo, Ontario Canada  N2J 3Z4
>
> Phone: (519) 888-0519
> Mobile Phone: (519) 240-1648
> Twitter: @kthomason
> E-mail: kevinthomason at mac.com
>
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