[All] Story in Globe and Mail on LRT impact in Waterloo

Tue Sep 10 12:56:32 EDT 2019

What a huge development in the works on Victoria Street. People who love
development probably think this is all wonderful, and maybe it is in some
ways..but living close to King Street near Uptown Waterloo for 38 years
now.. One effect we have noticed since the LRT went in on King Street is
that a lot less cars and people use King Street now- I walk there to go to
an exercise class and there are drastically fewer people walking on it and
using it in general. I would say it has taken the life out of King Street,
compared to how it was before - all the grey concrete and overhead wires
don't make it very appealing.  it is been very much de-humanized, which is
ironically opposite to one of the goals of any LRT system - to get people
out of their cars, and have more people on bikes, walking and using transit,
thinking that would humanize cities. So far this has not happened -it might
get better and grow, but for now, we say it is like a ghost town on King
street, and tumbleweeds rolling down the street wouldn't be a surprise. 

I wrote to the City and Region about getting some plantings and small trees
and shrubs placed on the concrete pads, especially where passengers get on
and off the route to "warm it up" and make it more inviting, not to mention
for the birds, insects, and much needed shade. I was told that "The City and
Region have no control over that. That would be under the control of a
company called KEOLIS and I would probably have to contact them directly if
I want anything planted there"!! 

Does anyone agree with me on that plantings/greenery of some kind should be
placed along the LRT?  Perhaps a letter from GREN would hold a lot more
weight? Should we go to Regional Council to talk about this?  I will go if
someone will go with me.  I looked at the Keolis website and its very
clinical and cold, like they are a huge engineering company only interested
in building transit systems and other large projects- I really don't think
placing plantings on their systems is going to be one of their priorities or
concerns, unless they get pressure, and then only maybe. Another option -
could we get a group to do some plantings and get funding for it?  but then
ongoing maintenance would be an issue. 

This is the reply I got after emailing 2 of my City of Waterloo Councillors,
Diane Freeman and Tenille Bonuguore -  correspondence attached. They say the
Cities and Region are not taking any responsibility for "greening up" the
system, and they forwarded me to this Regional staffperson, and this is
where the conversation ended (in green text):

Hello Lori-  I forwarded your comments on to Keolis as they are in charge of
the maintenance along the LRT tracks.

Their phone number is 514-395-4000 and website is
<https://www.keolis.ca/en/ion-light-rail-transit-lrt-region-waterloo-ontario
>
https://www.keolis.ca/en/ion-light-rail-transit-lrt-region-waterloo-ontario
if you would like to contact them directly.

Chelsey Main 

Operations Assistant

Region of Waterloo

I think the Cities and Region should step up to demand some action from
Keolis or however they decide to do this- both cities, Kitchener and
Waterloo, have their own Head Gardeners and Greenhouses- they could step up
if they wanted to - they can't just put it all on Keolis to do. After all,
in order to build the LRT, a lot of trees and greenery had to be removed.
Hundreds of trees were cut down.about 40 in Waterloo Park alone.  Is there
not some obligation to replace/restore the greenery that was taken away?
Now more than ever we need the carbon sequestration and air cleaning
services that live plants can provide.

Lori Strothard

From: All <all-bounces at gren.ca> On Behalf Of John Jackson
Sent: Tuesday, September 10, 2019 11:42 AM
To: GREN > <all at gren.ca>
Subject: [All] Story in Globe and Mail on LRT impact in Waterloo

Today's business pages in the Globe and Mail have a feature on the impact of
LRT on Waterloo Region.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/industry-news/property-report/artic
le-public-transit-investment-spurs-renewal-in-downtown-core/

John

------------------------------

John Jackson

17 Major Street

Kitchener N2H 4R1

519-744-7503

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