Highway 7 - Kitchener to Guelph

[westwardloo]

Speaking of sunk costs, we're spending like a billion dollars on this highway, we'd better dump hundreds of millions of tons of CO2 into the atmosphere in order to recoup the costs.

There is ALWAYS going to be "just one more project" that's justified. The Earth cannot take the projects we've already done, we need to stop...now...there is no other option.

If the government wants to give this money to another region, I can't stop them, but I can argue against celebrating a decision which invests in more unsustainability.

As for the idea that this highway will spur green development, that's laughable. It is inaccessible by any other means than a car. The ONLY types of development that can occur as a result of this highway is more unsustainable car dominated sprawl. Victoria St. could be improved, not only do I have serious doubts about that, it won't even come close to compensating for the costs of the highway--same with our investments in transit, we don't win by investing in transit, then compromising those investments by building more car dependent car exclusive sprawl...we need a singular bold vision, not compromising junk.

With a climate lens, this project is a bad idea.  It's also a bad idea from an equity and social lens, and frankly, I don't think it looks great from an economic lens either...

The only lens it looks good on is politically for people with no vision.

The Last quoted cost of this project is $300 million mind you that was 2015 $ so lets call it maybe $400 million? $170 million of that has already been spent. 

The point is this hwy will open up Victoria st to potential sustainable redevelopment as it no longer serves as a hwy. Which means a walkable mixed use development, that could provide housing to thousands of residents. all along an express bus line maybe even a new LRT line in the long term future. This hwy actually will not create any urban sprawl that doesn't already exist. The country lane on the east side of the region is pretty locked in place and from what I have discussed with the regional planners they have no interest in moving that boundary.  So in actuality this HWY does have the potential to build a less car dependent nieghbourhood within the city limits. Whether this actually occurs is up to the city and the region, but hopefully someone will realize Victoria st new urban potential once we no longer have cars drive 70km/hr down it.

From an Equity and social lens I would argue that not everyone can afford (or wants) to live in downtown Guelph or Kitchener in the walkable "desirable" neighbourhoods.  A lot of people live in kitchener but work at the auto factories in guelph. As much as I wish transit was a viable option to travel everywhere, it is not. What will take them 10-15mins by car would take 1-2hrs by transit to the manufacturing neighborhoods of guelph and vice versa.

I understand the any road expansion is a bad expansion and for the most part I agree with that statement. I will actual argue for urban road lane reduction to accommodate some separated bike lanes or multi-use paths. 

Personally I think the disconnected subdivisions and endless strip malls in south Kitchener bother me way more environmentally than this hwy. At least with this I can see potential urban benefits from this project.