[GREN-Exec] LRT - Important Next Steps?

[Susan Koswan]

I rejiggered my op/ed piece a little since the consulting period is over and
sent it to John Roe today. Repetition works and I think we should keep
repeating this message to everyone and sundry - get it to the TriTag people
and other people we know who support the LRT but first vet it past GREN
members for comment, and then meet with all fence-sitting and nay-saying
Regional Councillors and send the shortened version to all the local papers
- New Hamburg, Elmira, etc. 

 

I think that's doable.

Susan K

 

 

I was very glad I attended Gil Penalosa's presentation at Waterloo City Hall
on March 17. The goal of his organization, 8-80 Cities www.8-80cities.org,
is to help create vibrant cities and healthy communities with great public
places that are pedestrian and bike-friendly. He offered countless real-life
examples, such as Copenhagen where 37% of its commuters opt for bikes, not
because they are "treehuggers" or for exercise, but because it's the best
and easiest way to travel. 

 

But not everyone is prepared to bike in the winter, even if safe and
connected bikepaths are constructed and maintained year round. Others have
health issues that prevent them from biking. That's where public
transportation comes in.

 

A particularly astute observation made that night, by someone in the
audience, was that the difference between the Region's projected incremental
tax increases of $24.98/year for option BU11 (business-as-usual building
more roads) and L9 (the most expensive option of trains from St. Jacob's to
the Ainslie Street Terminal in Cambridge) at $62.65/year, is $37.67 per year
per household. 

 

Of course, that's only for the first year since the tax is incremental. If
you consider L4, one of the mid-range options, (LRT from Conestoga Mall to
Sportsworld and BRT to Ainslie St in Cambridge supported by rapid and
regular buses) the incremental tax increase of $31.46 in year one will work
out to $188.76 by the sixth year.  That's only a difference of an extra
$6.48 in the first year and $38.88 in the sixth, beyond what you can expect
to pay anyway and the cost of building an LRT/BRT.  

 

I can't believe that a difference of less than $40/year per household is
standing between smog-ridden, car-clogged roads and a comprehensive,
inclusive public transit system consisting of 36 kilometres combined LRT/BRT
between Waterloo and Cambridge supported by both rapid buses and regular
buses! 

 

That's equivalent to:

Less than one fill-up for my Honda Civic (at current gas prices), OR

A daily medium coffee from Tim Horton's for the month of February (28 days x
$1.33) OR

10 cents a day OR

A week's worth of fast food lunches OR

3.7 hours pay at minimum wage ($10.25/hour) OR

One date at Waterloo's Galaxy Cinema - including popcorn!  

 

We need to put this issue in better perspective. I like the idea of having a
rapid bus within a ten minute walk of my home to connect me to a system that
will take me anywhere from Elmira to Cambridge with ease for less than one
fill-up!  

 

And if you need one more example, it cost us $70 million to widen Hwy. 8 to
the 401 by two lanes for less than four kilometres, with nary a word of
complaint. How can we balk at $960 million to pay for 24 km of light rail
plus 12 km of rapid bus that already has the commitment of $565 million from
the provincial and federal governments?

 

 

From: executive-bounces at gren.ca [mailto:executive-bounces at gren.ca] On Behalf
Of Kevin Thomason
Sent: March-30-11 8:27 PM
To: GREN Executive
Subject: [GREN-Exec] LRT - Important Next Steps?

 

Hi folks,

 

I have found myself in a couple of meetings so far this week with the
Barnraiser's and Sustainable Waterloo where the issue of ensure the LRT
succeeds has arisen. 

 

Currently both these groups are very concerned about the situation and I
would agree.  There are still such mixed messages out there about the LRT.
Thankfully, most people who have taken the time to learn about the issue are
in support of the LRT but unfortunately the vast majority of the population
has not attended the open houses or researched the transit options to any
degree and are hung up solely on costs taken often out of context.

 

On April 20th Regional Council will be narrowing things down to just one of
the alternatives which will then be opened to further dialog until a final
decision in June.  It would seem to me that we can't be distracted by the
June date because the decision just three weeks from now is going to be the
most important one.  

 

I'm still not sure of the best approach - whether we need to try to educate
and influence 548,000 people or just 15 Regional Councillors.  Really it
seems to boil down to just a few Councillors that no one is sure about -
Brenda Halloran, Todd Cowan, etc.  

 

I am wondering if GREN should be updating our LRT support letter and
ensuring that it is circulated to the Councillors and the media.  I think
that the more the public is seen to be supporting the LRT the easier it will
be to sway these fence-sitting politicians.

 

I know that this can even be a touchy topic within GREN as there are a
variety of opinions but face it - at this point an Aerobus or redesigned LRT
on a different route is not going to happen.  We have 11 options to choose
from of which the most likely is looking like the do nothing and live with
sprawl, gridlock and a failed Regional Official Plan, perhaps one of 10
different LRT options if we are lucky, or a BRT region-wide if Doug Craig
gets his way.  

 

I fear if we don't have strong support for the LRT now there will be nothing
happen for at least a generation.  Other levels of government have made it
clear that their money is off the table soon and other cities such as
Hamilton are already clamouring for it.  As Susan has pointed out the cost
differential between the top-of-the-line plan and doing nothing is only
about the cost of half of a tank of gas per year!

 

Please let me know any thoughts on updating and circulating our GREN transit
support letter or any other ideas as soon as possible.

 

Thanks,

Kevin.

 

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