Tag Archives: public input

GRT Surveillance Consultations

Buses, News, Transit 1 Comment

Last year, GRT began installing cameras on buses for security purposes. Due to privacy and other concerns about the lack of a policy about storage and usage of recorded material, turning them on was postponed until a policy was written. In February, Regional staff brought forward a report and a draft policy on “Onboard Mobile Surveillance Systems”. Planning & Works Committee had concerns, but approved the policy in principle, with the stipulation that the public be consulted. (See that meeting’s minutes.)

There was some material on surveillance at last week’s consultation centres on GRT service improvements, but no material was on the website and no prior notice was given that this information would be presented.

We have recently found out that GRT is holding public consultations this week, about which there has again been little notice. There will be one tomorrow at Ainslie Street Terminal in Cambridge, and one Thursday at 150 Frederick Street in Kitchener. If you cannot make one of those, please review the details of the draft policy and submit comments this week on your thoughts or concerns.

Later this week we will post our thoughts on the surveillance, but at this point we are very concerned that audio/video surveillance is moving forward with insufficient attention to privacy concerns and inadequate public consultation.

Thanks to Kate Daley for keeping us in the loop about this.

Read More »

TriTAG Asks Regional Council for Overnight iXpress in 2011

News, Transit 1 Comment

(Below is the statement I made at yesterday’s Regional budget input meeting. Please call and write your regional councillors expressing your support for these initiatives. Their contact information is at the following link: http://bit.ly/hvkN5t)

Hi, I’m Tim Mollison, I live in Kitchener, and I’m here to represent the The Tri-Cities Transport Action Group, or TriTAG. TriTAG was founded in May 2009 with the idea that people should be able to walk, cycle, and take transit to everywhere they need to go, with dignity. These modes should be accessible to as many people as possible, and made as useful as possible, because transit and active transportation are better for the environment, public health, and the form of our cities.

I’m here this evening to speak about the Regional Transportation Master Plan. (more…)

Read More »

Public Consultations on Ten Rapid Transit Options

Light Rail, News, Transit 2 Comments

Between March 1 and March 10, Waterloo Region will host public consultation centres on options for Rapid Transit. Residents will have the option to consult directly with the Rapid Transit team, and share in the decision about which of the ten revised rapid transit options now on the table should be given further consideration by Regional Council.

In 2009, Council had approved in principle a rapid transit option combining light rail through the Kitchener-Waterloo urban corridor, with bus rapid transit connecting to Cambridge. Provincial and Federal funding fell short of projected costs, and so the Region has developed a comparison of ten options, ranging from LRT through the entire corridor to an “as is” comparison in which we do not implement any light rail. The remaining eight options contain a combination of LRT and BRT or aBRT (adapted Bus Rapid Transit). You can read a summary of these options in the Record or download the staff report.

The consultations provide the best forum for interested citizens to ask questions and bring up concerns about any of the current options or about the rapid transit plan in general. Each meeting will be attended by regional staff who are directly involved in the project and who will be prepared to answer questions. Public input from these consultations will inform staff’s decision on which one or two options to bring back to council for further deliberations. In short, attending these meetings and voicing your opinions is the single best way to influence the course of rapid transit in Waterloo Region. It is also the best resource for becoming informed about what is actually being proposed.

The meetings will be held at locations in St. Jacobs, Waterloo, Kitchener, and Cambridge:

St. Jacobs:

Tuesday, March 1, Calvary United Church, 48 Hawkesville Rd. 3-8 p.m. (Facebook event.)

Waterloo:

Thursday, March 3, Albert McCormick Community Centre, 500 Parkside Dr., 3-8 p.m. (Facebook event.)
Wednesday, March 9, First United Church, 16 William St. W., 3-8 p.m. (Facebook event.)

Kitchener

Thursday, March 3, Region of Waterloo Headquarters, Front Lobby, 150 Frederick St., 3-8 p.m. (Facebook event.)
Thursday, March 10, Faith Lutheran Church, 247 Westmount Rd. E., 3-8 p.m. (Facebook event.)

Cambridge

Wednesday, March 9, Region of Waterloo Cambridge Office, 150 Main St., 3-8 p.m. (Facebook event.)
Thursday, March 10, United Kingdom Club, 35 International Village Dr., 3-8 p.m. (Facebook event.)

Read More »