Say that three times fast.
It's happening right now: staff are presenting the Preliminary Preferred Rapid Transit Implementation Option report to the Region's Planning and Works committee. But you can read it directly by clicking the link.
What does it say? In short, that the feedback from the public consultations not only overwhelmingly supports Rapid Transit, but also very strongly supports some form of LRT. And based on the public feedback, as well as all of the supporting data put together in the past few years, staff still recommends LRT.
If you're like me, then this simply reflects how the facts and our needs won't change no matter how many times we go back to the table. If you're dead set against transit or LRT, then obviously this is a (ahem) railroading by the Region to get its shiny toy no matter how wrong you say they are.
Unfortunately in a bid to control cost, staff are also recommending delaying some of the Regional Transit Master Plan implementation. I understand compromise, but LRT as a backbone without the express bus skeleton to go around it? Seems foolish.
Anyway, go read.
So they've decided they're going to go ahead with the LRT and provide themselves with the requisite pieces of paper that says we all think it's sheer brilliance?
ReplyDeleteAt the present, most of my opinions about transit are intellectual at best (no part of my life makes transit as a main travel option viable), so I'm less informed on this than I probably should be, but that people are making sure they get their shiny new toy by any means possible doesn't surprise me in the slightest.
I've been trying to prepare (in my Copious Free Time) a primer on the material supporting LRT. Would that help?
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I believe the attitude (and opposition) many people have had about this comes out mainly of ignorance. Sometimes, though, that ignorance is willful. I've wasted a lot of time leading a horse to water only to learn that they don't believe in hydration.
The Region has done a poor PR job so far (something they've been learning) but the material is there, it looks sound, and it's been peer reviewed as not just reasonable but overly conservative in its projections. Cynicism about corrupt officials is understandable... but I believe is entirely unjustified in this case.
I definitely support the train, but if I had to chose between Rapid transit (will only consider the LRT on this front, although implement it in as many stages as you want as long as it gets built BEFORE it is needed), Expanded and re-aligned conventional bus service, and the central multi-modal terminal, I would probably put them in the order of Bus service, terminal, then RT. I know that imoprovements in the GRT service will make the LRT a no-brainer. It is just a chicken/egg scenario.
ReplyDeleteAlthough, I should mention that the Chicken is inevitable, and the egg incubation period is probably not long enough for us to delay very long.