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5 imi'Vâ€"i” ' "77' 7 ' if ' '7' ‘ m l wxrcmmatnommnwun . 5e "cannon-s _ VlSll 1 W8 llllCllBllBYlilil com ® I ( : I I I J I ll - llâ€" 2 28 519 5 8 '1 | ~ ~ ~â€"#uâ€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"â€"~â€" I The hidden costs of the LRT I O 0 C O . O . City councrl concerned about the cost of consulting and servicing rapid transu plan Br Plum Drsuoso , ‘43 t ’hromt‘le Maj] ‘f‘ lily a few months after a ‘ O multi-millionAdollar light ’ i I rail transit platt was " ,,~ I approved by \‘t‘alerloo regional “If. .‘l‘ {gawk ' f cottncil. questions about costs are m . i ' -. ' ‘ causing concerns at tlte( ity of 1 -1 - I; 4 Waterloo. « - ' t ‘ Members of Waterloo city coun- ' ‘ cil said the plan is already eating up (. - ~r r . staff hours and many uncertainties ‘ . .â€" . ' ‘ r ' W . '2: , l exist about who MI] pay for what. . ' . N 4 ‘ “.5 :7 3, 1 ‘ (loun. Karen Scian. who was in ' ‘ l . ~ 7 » / â€" , 1 5.-7_‘-,__;:§3_:_;:‘.:> i; I favour of LRT. said she’s concerned . ' g p '_ ., , 3.5: if ' p . :2: ‘3; l5! i about the hidden impacts of the kg; '5? 9“ “'5'” . /' _ ‘4" ”q: '2; . I ‘ plan. ' M , . ' ' ,,â€"-‘ i ,. , 4...»); 24:2: . . u- ‘ "We've already seen a huge / i, v / . -* '/ .- “7““ we”: 1 T i ‘ impact on staffbours." Scian said. ‘. r/-" '/’ ‘ ~ \ a} '“ 1 if“; f 1 “()ur public works guys are .I l. 1’ .. if Effigy i ‘ already out there doing markings in , " / ' ”2217213: : I the uptown for services but these / / \ v ““9“ i are guys being paid for by us and L J *- i doing work for the region." The light rail transit plan will require the city to move services like sewer and water to accommodate the new route. that has Waterloo council wonder- : Public works staff. engineers ing who will pick up the costs of the infrastructure changes. and whether city taxpayers will have to foot the bill. in and planners are among the high- mom 1 est-skilled and highest -paid down yet. On-street trains would run from mental study. we have been work- built toWaterloo’s standards. employees at the city. Scian said. He said the city‘s streetscape. Conestoga into uptown from Kitch- ing on land acquisition and we do “We've worked really hard to 0n lune l5. regional council parking and infrastructure services ener as part the original plans. but have to hire stall," Schmidt said. create that Waterloo feel and it's to . approved the plan for light rail could all be affected. a last-minute reversal lead to calls He said a team of about 20 peo- be expected that we articulate what i transit in waterloo and Kitchener “It's a very, very significant pub- for a route review in uptown after ple will be assigned to work on the it will be.” Scian said. I and rapid bus service for (Tam‘ Iic works project.” Anderson said. regional Coun. Sean Strickland LRT project; though some pf them Depending on how the cost 1 bridge, with lll'l' to be phased in “It will have implications at the suggested cutting through the pub« will be part‘time or consultants for structure is set out. Scian said tax I later local level. lic square and into Waterloo Park specific portions of the project. payers could get hit twice â€"â€" once I [he $8 ltl million project will be “Potentially. it's a large dollar fig- by using the rail spur. The biggest step will be getting by regional taxes and a second time I ‘ funded jointly by the region. tire." Waterloo council had already official clearance from the by city taxes if costs rise. “‘1 don't 3 . provincial and federal govern- Any infrastructure that needs to approved a route in 2009 and province. want the costs being transferred to 3 ‘ merits. be moved for the implementation Mayor Brenda llalloran said the An environmental assessment ourtaxpayers." she said. : i The region will be responsible of LRT, such as sewer and water city is opposed to any cuts through has already been completed. The city is currently preparing i for operation and maintenance at a services. would be the responsibili- the uptown. Schmidt said. But instead of the its 2012 budget, with an expected 1 cost of about $9.1” million per year. ty of the city if it is old and already “There's a lot of community typical environmental assessment tax increase of no higher than 2.16 1 after fatebox recovery. in the capital budget for repair. concerns." Anderson said. “There's process. the region will undergo per cent. Increases of no higher 1 ( nun Mark Whaley said the Anderson said. lots of different opinions on the the transit project assessment than 2.26 and 2.46. were also I titles of Waterloo. Kitchener and lie said the region has shown routing.” process planned for the years 2013 and . ‘ (.ainbridge need to start talking some willingness to cost»share on Thomas Schmidt. regional It is a faster process. Schmidt 20” based on the Municipal Price i now about how costs will be dealt certain items, but the details transportation commissioner, said said. lasting about six months One Index System. ! I with. haven‘t been nailed down. the uptown route is the only area of preferred option would be present- Right now. council is debating 1 “We need to begin pilot discus “We've continued and will con disagreement so far. ed to the province for final service cuts and new sources of I stons no“ amongst the three tinue to work collaboratively with “For Waterloo we're obviously approval. revenue in an attempt to keep tax 1 ‘ titles," he said. “We need to start the region on the project." Ander» still looking at a number of For Scian, there won't be too increases at that rate. ; talking together and we need to sun said. options." Schmidt said. " much room to compromise. For Scian. despite the uncer- 3 stan talkingnow' Part of that collaboration was a A number of projects were She said one important detail is taintles surrounding LRT. she was ! ‘ (LN) 'l‘im Anderson said there working group session yesterday already underway in anticipation getting the region to understand stillabeliever. i I were a number of potential about the route the LRT would take ofthe IRT. anything built in Waterloo. such as “I believe in it." Scian said. “I i ‘ impat ts that hadn't been nailed in the uptown “We are finishing an environ a transit station. will have to be believe itwasthe rightdecision.” ‘ l. . m7. ...........---|_3..,T ___._. ... ,. . ,. . I . fl , _: "a, I ‘ ' . t a i ” “ ”PM“ GINA’S MEDI SPA ‘ ‘ ‘ WINNING . ' ‘ t . ‘ Bring this ad In to receive $50, oft any medI spa treatment over $100. It‘s the perfect time to look at Gina’s Medi Spa. G I N A S $7Lllii 5300"}.[0l 3°! 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