Candidates Unsure About LRT But Support Transportation Change

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.