Waterloo Region Light Rail Transit Decision

It’s been almost a decade since the Region of Waterloo Council first started exploring the options for a rapid transit system. There have been committees, there have been meetings, there have been public inquiries, there have been reports, there has been politics, and there has been indecision. This has now changed. There was an article outlining the history of this decision published in the June 1^st, 2011 issue of The Iron Warrior. This article will focus on what has happened since June 1^st, 2011 and the details of the plan moving forward.

On May 31^st and June 1^st of 2011, regional council held two public input sessions. These input sessions ran for a total of over 12 hours with delegations for and against light rail. Delegations consisted of people from many demographics and with many points of view on the issue. A highlight near the end of the second night included a man who had built a model of a downtown street with sponges and glue sticks. He voiced a concern that models would help the public understand the changes to the street-scape.

At Speaker’s Corner in Kitchener on the 11^th of June, there were two rallies. One rally was in support of light rail, and one rally was opposed to light rail. The rally in favour of light rail started at 12 pm and ran for one hour. With many speakers and a crowd of between 200 and 250, the rally in support of light rail demonstrated strong support of light rail. However, the counter-rally was not as successful. With a few speakers and a crowd of no more than 20, the counter-rally was unsuccessful at showing a strong opposition to light rail. It can be noted that the man mentioned previously with the sponge model was an organizer for the counter light rail rally.

The council chambers had little standing room remaining due to the sizable crowd that waited patiently for the deciding vote. The meeting started with topics that were unrelated, and then moved to delegations. After several delegations talked in support for and against light rail, the councillors took time to explain their position on the matter. Those in favour of light rail cited the need for action and the need for dedication to the future. Some concerns were voiced, but most of these agreed that now it is time to move forward. After each councillor spoke in regards to their decision, a final vote was tallied.

The Region of Waterloo Council has voted 9 to 2 in favor of building a light rail system from Conestoga mall to Fairview mall and an adapted bus rapid transit system from Fairview mall to Cambridge. Waterloo mayor, Brenda Halloran, and Cambridge councilor, Claudette Millar, were the two members of regional council who voted against the plan. Mayor Halloran was the only member of council who spoke against light rail. Councillor Millar very explicitly indicated her support for light rail but indicated that she wants Cambridge to have light rail in the first phase. One member of council was away due to a medical accident and was advised not to vote by her doctor. Four other councillors declared a conflict of interest in regards to their employers or private capital gaining from the construction of light rail.

After the council agreed to adjourn the meeting, the audience gave a standing ovation. The audience was not hushed, but reminded that this would not normally be permitted behavior. When asked, “How do you feel about Benda Halloran’s position on light rail?” a concerned citizen gave the following response: “I was shocked when I first found she took a stance against light rail. I voted for her, believing that she was the Mayoral candidate who was the strongest supporter of light rail.”

The light rail transit system will be build from Conestoga mall to Fairview mall with adapted bus rapid transit to Cambridge. The system is expected to start construction in 2014 and be completed by 2017 at the latest. The system will cost approximately $818 million. With $300 million being provided by the provincial government and $265 million being provided by the federal government, the total cost to the region is going to be $253 million. This will be paid for with several sources including a 0.7% per year property tax increase for seven years, much less than the previously advertised 1.5%. The region is also continuing to work on making this number smaller.

Light rail will pass through all the major nodes in the region. The system stops will include Conestoga mall, the Research and Technology Park, the University of Waterloo, Waterloo Park, Uptown Waterloo, Downtown Kitchener, and Fairview Park mall. There will be a total of 14 stops on the light rail portion of the system. The light rail transit will also be complemented by improved bus service throughout the entire region. The closing disappointment is that it will not likely be complete before most of the current student population graduates.