<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; charset=us-ascii"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Helvetica;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Consolas;
panose-1:2 11 6 9 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
text-decoration:underline;}
p.MsoPlainText, li.MsoPlainText, div.MsoPlainText
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text Char";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
font-size:10.5pt;
font-family:Consolas;}
p.msonormal0, li.msonormal0, div.msonormal0
{mso-style-name:msonormal;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
span.PlainTextChar
{mso-style-name:"Plain Text Char";
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-link:"Plain Text";
font-family:Consolas;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal> 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”!! <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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. <o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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 <span style='color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha:100.0%'>(in green text)</span>:<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha:100.0%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha:100.0%'>Hello Lori- I forwarded your comments on to Keolis as they are in charge of the maintenance along the LRT tracks.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha:100.0%'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha:100.0%'>Their phone number is 514-395-4000 and website is </span><a href="https://www.keolis.ca/en/ion-light-rail-transit-lrt-region-waterloo-ontario"><span style='color:#0563C1'>https://www.keolis.ca/en/ion-light-rail-transit-lrt-region-waterloo-ontario</span></a> if you would like to contact them directly.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoPlainText><span style='color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha:100.0%'>Chelsey Main <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha:100.0%'>Operations Assistant<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-color:#548235;mso-style-textfill-fill-alpha:100.0%'>Region of Waterloo<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>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.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Lori Strothard<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> All <all-bounces@gren.ca> <b>On Behalf Of </b>John Jackson<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, September 10, 2019 11:42 AM<br><b>To:</b> GREN > <all@gren.ca><br><b>Subject:</b> [All] Story in Globe and Mail on LRT impact in Waterloo<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Today's business pages in the Globe and Mail have a feature on the impact of LRT on Waterloo Region.<o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/industry-news/property-report/article-public-transit-investment-spurs-renewal-in-downtown-core/">https://www.theglobeandmail.com/business/industry-news/property-report/article-public-transit-investment-spurs-renewal-in-downtown-core/</a><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal>John<o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><br>------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>John Jackson<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>17 Major Street<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>Kitchener N2H 4R1<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'>519-744-7503<o:p></o:p></span></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:9.0pt;font-family:"Helvetica",sans-serif;color:black'><o:p> </o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></div></body></html>