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wu'ekux) ctr-omen ~ Wednesday. November 17. 2010 - s ‘A may mm \Vy\Â¥/ “Wyn” ANDY NATION ' “may" M m“ 519.579.4"0 W hat 3 the better way . Waterloo Region grapples Wlth the costs and the crztzcrsm of light rail transzt , BY meum's Phone Murmur _,,. chronicle Staff "7 . . . \ n regional muncil meets -" ~ * ‘ ‘ ‘.~ _ ' ’ ' ”’ Will the new year. they'll - / ‘ "M” a“. - ‘ immediately face a huge j w ‘ ‘- . ._. decision. " . ». “ - Public transit has the potential { \ _,. 1 \ I I . to dramatically change the way ': ’ , \A'â€"â€""’ ' “ development occurs in the region. , ” Now that the federal and ‘ ' provincial governments have comâ€" "" , _ . ' . mitted up to $565 million to the i ‘ \‘\‘~ ~ . . \ project. the region is facing a . ' , _,_ , shortfall of $235 million for capital ' ' ‘ “ »_ ‘ < ‘i m costs. . l l 80 it‘s back to the drawing . ‘ ""-»:‘¢_ ’ board. : ‘* = ~ ., x _ ‘ Regional staff are looking at ', ‘ .‘ "" potential changes to the original , i i . ~~ ‘ plan. and will report back to coun~ ; , ‘ cil in January. {I} ' . But Regional Chair Ken Seiling '. . , ggggé‘thmk light m" has been A final decision will be made in 2011 on a new public transit system for the region. The LRT may prove to be unaffordable, leading critics and decision- “They'll look at other options makers to look at alternatives or changes to the proposal. This futuristic "straddling bus” system is being touted by its inventors as an Innovative soluâ€" . . ' tron to the world's traffic woes. MDW but right now the focus [11 on council approving the LRT plan â€" He points out that the one-kiloâ€" 18.000 riders a day. But he would like to see a bus going to be looking at is within seeing whether an LRT plan is metre distance between LRT stops “The only difference between rapid transit plan that would focus technology that exists." he said. workable." he said. means there's only one between Waterloo and Buffalo is. we're rich- on two “lifestyle corridors" -â€" one > The LRT route may have to be The cost should be put in per- Fairview Park Mall and downtown er. So you would expect they'd from downtown Kitchener to scaled back and re-designed in spective. he said, pointing out that Kitchener. at King and Ottawa have more riders," he said. Waterloo’s tech park. and the other order to save money. the region is spending $450 million streets. in a region world renowned for in downtown Gait. “I've been consistently saying on sewer upgrades. “How does that stimulate develâ€" its innovation. he'd like to see more These corridors would be fare that the plan we currently have is But it's not just the cost that has opment? In that area. you have innovative ideas implemented for free to encourage ridership not affordable. We'd have to raise critics crying foul. some of the best redevelopable public transit. throughout the day. There would taxes by nine per cent to put in lohn Shortreed, a member of land. It‘s all empty. it's all crappy The straddling bus. or elevated be more frequent stops. and tech- LRT from Conestoga to Fairview the Uptown Vision committee and buildings.” high-speed bus. was invented in noiogy that allows buses to turn Park Mall." Strickland said. “I sup- former teacher of urban transit at Shortreed also questions a lot of China. It doesn't have a North traffic lights green as they port rail â€" ifit can be affordable." University of Waterloo, said the the region's numbers. including American manufacturer. and is approach. Coun. lane Mitchell has also light rail system just isn't the right the cost. currently not in use in any city in There would also be dedicated seen the straddling bus drawings. one. In North America. the average the world. “counterflow” bus lanes â€"â€" buses “it's interesting isn't it?” she Local politicians went to Port- cost over-run on this type of rail A media release says it can move in the opposite direction to said. “One of my friends said she land to look at their LRT system, project is about 40 per cent. he move hundreds of passengers in car traffic. They're self‘regulating. wouldn‘t be too keen to drive but should have focussed on that said. which could bring the four cars, at an average speed of becausecarsdriven in them would under it though." city’s other rail system â€" streetcars region's LRT price tag to more than about 40 km/hr. hit a bus head-on. Mitchell also points out that ‘ â€" instead. $1 billion. The solar and electric powered This plan would cost about any elevated train would require “LRT tend to be commuter rail And he doesn't think the design is also being touted as envi- $500 million, Shortreed said. “And an elevator at every stop to make it systems that bring people from region’s estimate of 56,000 riders a ronmentally friendly and quick to it doesn’t leave Cambridge out in wheelchair accessible. outlying areas to the core." he said. day by 2031 is realistic either. construct, combining the best fea~ the cold.“ She's ready to take another look In Portland. the LRT runs from “It's a pipe dream." Shortreed tures ofa subway and a rapid bus Regional Coun. Sean Strickland at bus rapid transit. and any the suburbs and the airport to the said. "if you want to know what it system. said he‘s seen pictures of the strad< options staff can come up with to core. where it links up with street will look like, go to Buffalo.” But it isn't really an option. clling bus before. He'd ride one. but reduce the cost of rail. “I can't go cars. “The streetcar does what the With a population of 900,000 Shortreed said. he‘s not buying it. ahead with try“ rail. even though 1 Region says they want to do: it and three times the employment “You have to go with proven ‘lt certainly is a neat concept,” voted for itayearago. ifwe have to intensifies development in the in the core than Waterloo Region technology. These things hardly he said. pay more property tax for the capi- core." Shortreed said. has. Buffalo's LRT attracts just ever work the first time.” “The innovation that we're tal.” she said. l were 0 wife? 3 c Q ”$59...- a at! HEER’S . l l l m /‘ f g, a V‘lfl/ ' DECORATING 74 l“ fl} ,‘, ‘59%/ -e Des/my newnesâ€" , , _, ____§ ’ v. 583 Kln Street N., Waterloo / q f ' j. a m If? °(519)772-1127 g. f l "i if, 171,“ ' “" ‘ " G77BelmontAvo w. llZOV-ctoriaStN. r ' ' ‘ KITCHENER KTTCHENER (519) 578-5330 (519) 5767576 .‘t,.- - " ‘ v www. coon! .com ‘ not » - , .."“"" c, f?" -.- , ll