Tuesday, December 20, 2011

LRT (LIGHT RAPID/RAIL TRANSIT)

Ususlly when I am commenting on or at least pointing out a newspaper article it is within a day or two of it's being published. Today however I wish to mention a K-W Record article written by Jeff Outhit dated last month, namely November 26, 2011. The title of the article is " Rail transit, fact and fiction". I would interpret this article as a low key disection of the honey, syrup and just plain unadorned lies to which our politicians treat us.

There are only five of the above detailed in this article from costs, purpose, need, technical consultation and demand by either the public or the politicians. For all five we the citizens are being sold a bill of goods. The basic purpose is "Primarily the project is intended to foster intensification and redevelopment within the Region's primary reurbanization area". So much for cheap public transit and environmental improvement. It would seem that there are many political motives involved including grandstanding and being seen once again as leaders within the Ontario community. Perhaps this might also include regional politicians looking at their political futures whether provincial or federal. It might also be simply grabbing this community's piece of the provincial and or federal pie. If funds are available now for transit projects then lets tailor our plan to suit the requirements and guidelines of the upper tier governments doling out the dough. Perhaps pigs at the trough is an appropriate metaphor when you consider that these pigs want both "free" government grants AND more taxes from regional taxpayers to support their grandiose plans.

Now is not the time financially and economically for this project. If and when times improve it may still not be the time for this particular project.

2 comments:

  1. Well written article and I couldn't agree with you more. We do not need and can not afford to have our Regional taxes increased for LRT. Downtown Kitchener and Waterloo are "intensified enough" and LRT that runs from one Mall to another is ridiculous. In my opinion it should be cancelled and the Provincial money chanelled into commuter trains that run from city to city to alleviate some of the traffic woes on the 401. What is needed for all of our Regional cities is to have either GO or VIA trains that run from city to city.

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  2. I spotted Cambridge Mayor Craig on Rogers Channel #20 last evening. I know he's not the most popular fellow in Cambridge these days but nevertheless he said almost the same thing in regards to alleviating traffic tieups on the #401.

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