<html><head></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">Hi folks,<div><br></div><div>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. </div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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. </div><div><br></div><div>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. </div><div><br></div><div>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.</div><div><br></div><div>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. </div><div><br></div><div>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!</div><div><br></div><div>Please let me know any thoughts on updating and circulating our GREN transit support letter or any other ideas as soon as possible.</div><div><br></div><div>Thanks,</div><div>Kevin.</div><div><br></div><div><div>
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