Category Archives: News

TriTAG statement to Regional Council, 19 January 2011

Light Rail, News, Transit, TriTAG

Chair Seiling, Members of Council,

Light Rail Transit was never chosen because it had a lower capital cost than a bus-based solution. The project was chosen because it requires fewer wages to operate than buses, and because the rails it runs on attract private-sector investment. Why would Council, which voted in favour of this project on its merits alone in 2009, vote to reconsider? Has Council not done its due diligence? Or, was the value of the project, and its sister project, the Regional Transportation Master Plan, not properly explained to citizens?

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January Volunteer Meeting

News, TriTAG 4 Comments

This entry has been updated for a 7:00pm start. We will also be joined by UW planning professor Jeff Casello.

If you’re interested in helping out with what TriTAG is doing, come out to our first regular volunteer meeting. We’ll bring you up to speed on the issues and what needs to be done. Main issue will be light rail, but there are others as well.

The meeting will be at Whole Lot-A Gelata in Waterloo on Tuesday, January 18, from 7:00pm to 9:00pm. (Facebook event is here.) You are welcome to come earlier to have time to get some coffee or gelato.

We plan to hold volunteer meetings monthly.

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Uptown Waterloo streetscape input

Cycling, News, Walking

As covered in local media, the City of Waterloo and the Region of Waterloo are currently working on redesigning King Street between Erb and Central Streets in uptown Waterloo. This is a street that is arguably working poorly for all users — on foot, on bicycle, and in motor vehicles.

Last week there was a public information centre to solicit feedback on the several alternative street cross-sections that are being considered. All the information and panels presented there are now available. Please check them out and fill out the city’s survey by January 5, 2011.

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Toronto doesn’t want LRT? We’ll take it!

Intercity Transit, Light Rail, News, Transit, TriTAG

The Honourable Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Transportation
77 Wellesley St. W.
Toronto, ON M7A 1Z8

Re: Possible Toronto LRT project cancellations

Minister Wynne,

While it is with concern that I read of possible LRT project cancellations in Toronto with the inauguration of Mayor Rob Ford, I would like to take the opportunity to identify a very deserving recipient of the Province of Ontario’s infrastructure funding should Transit City indeed be cancelled.

As your government has already graciously funded Phase 1 of the Region of Waterloo’s Rapid Transit project, as well as the expansion of GO Transit rail service to Kitchener, I humbly submit to you that Phase 2 of the Region of Waterloo’s Light Rail Transit project, as well as GO expansion to the city of Cambridge, should be the first recipient of any moneys rejected by Mayor Ford.

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Rally for Rails Roundup

Light Rail, News, Transit, TriTAG 1 Comment

Resounding success at Rally for Rails! At least 200 of you braved the freezing cold for an hour to support the Region of Waterloo’s LRT project. The Rally was covered on CTV, and in The Record.

Remember, the train doesn’t stop here – your friends, neighbours, relatives and local businesses need to know the truth about LRT, and we need your help. If you have run out of double-sided information pamphlets, you can download more for printing at the (PDF) links below:

LRT Info Pamphlet – Greyscale

LRT Info Pamphlet – Colour

Finally, thank you all for coming out today. Each and every one of you who attended helped make this a resounding success!

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Rally for Rails Resources

Light Rail, News, Transit, TriTAG

On December 5th TriTAG will be hosting the Rally for Rails in partnership with Wonderful Waterloo and Waterloo Students Planning Advisory. It runs from 12pm to 1pm in Waterloo Public Square, at the corner of King St S and Willis Way. You can take a look at the Rally for Rails event on Facebook.

For those of you that want to help us advertise the rally we have created “ticket” leaflets that you can distribute and posters than you can put up. All of these are PDFs which should be printed with Page Scaling set to None on the Print Options dialog. The posters will look best if trimmed to size, as they are shorter than standard letter paper.

  Colour Version Greyscale Version
Rally Tickets
These print 4 to a page. Cut them up and distribute them to friends and family, or set them out at work, school, or anywhere else people will see them.		 Download Rally Tickets (colour) Download Rally Tickets (greyscale)
Rally Posters
These print 1 per page. Trim them after printing for best results. Put them up at work, school, or anywhere else people will see them.		 Download Rally Poster (colour) Download Rally Poster (greyscale)

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TriTAG reminds local Councils of the bigger cost picture on LRT

News 1 Comment

WATERLOO REGION – Throughout the recent media conversation on light rail transit (LRT), the bigger picture of transit in the Region of Waterloo seems to have fallen by the wayside. In June 2010, Regional Council approved a game-changing new Regional Transportation Master Plan (RTMP). However, it has not received the attention warranted by its importance to the transportation network in Waterloo, Kitchener, Cambridge and the surrounding townships.

“Incoming councils at both levels of municipal government need to remember that Light Rail Transit is part of a comprehensive Grand River Transit network upgrade”, said TriTAG executive member Tim Mollison. “Many politicians are suggesting replacing LRT with Bus Rapid Transit, but this isn’t a cheaper option – its $600 million price tag is for a system that will be over capacity within ten years of opening day, requiring expensive in-operation replacement with rail. Furthermore, cost per passenger would be higher with buses than the proposed rail plan, because you need to hire more union drivers.”

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Candidates Unsure About LRT But Support Transportation Change

Cycling, News, Transit, TriTAG, Walking 2 Comments

Our website features the responses to our transportation survey of nearly 90 candidates for City Councils and Regional Council in the Region of Waterloo (including Mayors). The election will be next Monday, October 25. We asked candidates for their stances on dealing with growth-related traffic, light rail transit, sidewalks, segregated bicycle infrastructure, parking, and mixed-use zoning. In a “why we’re asking” section, we explained TriTAG’s stance and provided links for further information.

A number of themes were shared in many responses, including views on parking and cycling. There is near consensus that it is inappropriate for municipal staff to be provided with transportation subsidies exclusively in the form of parking. There was support for a bike-sharing system like Montreal’s BIXI, and there was widespread enthusiasm for segregated cycling infrastructure. To make cycling feel safer and be a more viable transportation choice, we believe on-street bicycle infrastructure must be physically separated from motor vehicle traffic and prioritized at intersections.

Candidates expressed support for mixed-use zoning along arterial roads, and many candidates agreed that minimum parking requirements in municipal zoning should be reduced or eliminated.

Regional Council candidates expressed a wide range of views on the light rail transit (LRT) project, with some suggesting it should be scrapped, others suggesting that they prefer bus rapid transit (BRT), and many indicating that they would support it if modifications take into account the funding situation. Overwhelmingly, candidates believe that transit should be improved to be a choice for everyone and not only a social service, and that transit should be a primary means of dealing with continued growth.

The responses are posted at our 2010 election page. Candidates who have not responded may still contact us to do so.

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