ION Phase 2 - Cambridge's Light Rail Transit

[jamincan]

No, it follows King in the median.

[danbrotherston]

No, it follows King in the median.

So, they are replacing the bridge and will use the existing bridge for cycling?

That was proposed years ago, but then was cancelled...have they gone back then?

[westwardloo]

No, it follows King in the median.

So, they are replacing the bridge and will use the existing bridge for cycling?

That was proposed years ago, but then was cancelled...have they gone back then?

I think you are a bit confused. It will follow king st from highway 8 to shantz hill. It runs along the highway over the grand river. They are not replacing the king st bridge by freeport.

[KevinL]

It runs in the King median from just south of 8, past Deer Ridge and Sportsworld, under the 401, and past Preston Heights. As the street descends the hill toward Fountain, the track is elevated at a less steep grade.

[danbrotherston]

So, they are replacing the bridge and will use the existing bridge for cycling?

That was proposed years ago, but then was cancelled...have they gone back then?

I think you are a bit confused. It will follow king st from highway 8 to shantz hill. It runs along the highway over the grand river. They are not replacing the king st bridge by freeport.

Oh I see, yes, a different section of King than I was thinking.

Thanks for clarifying.

[ac3r]

CTV had a short segment about Line 2 tonight and emphasizing that there is only a week left for the public to weigh in on the plan. They had one woman talking about environmental disruptions which is valid, but then they had had another guy saying that the LRT is going to somehow increase traffic congestion and for whatever reason talks about traffic jams on the 401: https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/waterloo-re...-1.5299455

[danbrotherston]

Yup, sounds about right for LRT opposition.

[ijmorlan]

CTV had a short segment about Line 2 tonight and emphasizing that there is only a week left for the public to weigh in on the plan. They had one woman talking about environmental disruptions which is valid, but then they had had another guy saying that the LRT is going to somehow increase traffic congestion and for whatever reason talks about traffic jams on the 401: https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/waterloo-re...-1.5299455

Well, obviously, it’s just bad to have a streetcar stopping in the middle of the 401 to let off passengers!

And that’s what the plan is, because I think so. I don’t need to check the plans because I just know they say the same thing.

[Acitta]

CTV had a short segment about Line 2 tonight and emphasizing that there is only a week left for the public to weigh in on the plan. They had one woman talking about environmental disruptions which is valid, but then they had had another guy saying that the LRT is going to somehow increase traffic congestion and for whatever reason talks about traffic jams on the 401: https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/waterloo-re...-1.5299455

The fellow was saying that accidents on the 401 cause backups that extend down King St. in Preston so he was concerned that the LRT would make it worse.

[LesPio]

This may help Phase 2.

Trudeau pledges $14.9 billion for public transit projects across the country

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau...-1.5908346

[westwardloo]

This may help Phase 2.

Trudeau pledges $14.9 billion for public transit projects across the country

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau...-1.5908346

Ford already has the Ontario portion of that money earmarked for the Ontario line and subways for single family suburbs of toronto.  The remaining scraps will be going toward Hamilton LRT (assuming that doesn't get cancelled again).

[jwilliamson]

This may help Phase 2.

Trudeau pledges $14.9 billion for public transit projects across the country

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau...-1.5908346

This is a suboptimal way to find local transit IMO. Instead of upper level governments collecting taxes and then redistributing back to lower levels by some more or less arbitrary method, we should just collect more taxes at the lower level and less at the higher level. Then funding can be better directed towards what is needed locally instead of what is eligible to be funded.

[ijmorlan]

This is a suboptimal way to find local transit IMO. Instead of upper level governments collecting taxes and then redistributing back to lower levels by some more or less arbitrary method, we should just collect more taxes at the lower level and less at the higher level. Then funding can be better directed towards what is needed locally instead of what is eligible to be funded.

And you wouldn’t need to get 2 or even 3 governments to agree before proceeding.

The best thing the federal government could do for public transit in this country would be to credibly commit to never ever funding public transit. Then it would be clear that the provincial and municipal governments have to deal with the issue. Of course, it is impossible for a government to make such a commitment credibly even for itself, never mind for its successors.

[plam]

This may help Phase 2.

Trudeau pledges $14.9 billion for public transit projects across the country

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/trudeau...-1.5908346

This is a suboptimal way to find local transit IMO. Instead of upper level governments collecting taxes and then redistributing back to lower levels by some more or less arbitrary method, we should just collect more taxes at the lower level and less at the higher level. Then funding can be better directed towards what is needed locally instead of what is eligible to be funded.

I don't actually agree that for multiple reasons. One is the same reason that Cambridge was on the hook for paying for LRT: governments express the principle that we're in this together. We pay for some of the needs of other places and they pay for some of our needs. (Politically I'd be in favour of not funding highways in Toronto for instance but the general principle is not good). Another is that municipalities just don't have the proper tax tools at the moment. Taxing properties is not the right way to fund transit.

[jwilliamson]

Another is that municipalities just don't have the proper tax tools at the moment. Taxing properties is not the right way to fund transit.

I'll certainly agree with you on that!