04-18-2021, 08:21 AM
(04-18-2021, 07:36 AM)neonjoe Wrote: I took a drive on Homer Watson yesterday, it really is too much of a surburban highway to justify higher order transit in the foreseeable future. Conestoga and maybe the Pioneer drive area are the only two nodes where there is any ridership potential. The rest of the road is flanked by protected parkland and backyards of surburban homes abutting the roadway. This could be a potential BRT route in the future but LRT would really require starting the ensure corridor anew.
I do believe that the phase LRT could have served more people if it ran in the rail corridor parallel to old King there’s some density already there mixed with quite a bit of vacant space or recently demolished homes.
Highway 8 is also an actual highway, and we are putting an LRT down it.
I don't think that anyone is arguing that Homer-Watson justifies an LRT on it's own, but given that we must pick a route TO Cambridge, of the routes available, we are arguing that Homer-Watson is more compelling than Highway 8 and King St.
I'm not sure what King St. you are talking about, there is a little density up near Fairway, but less still than along Homer-Watson, and the LRT is not going to go near that section for some reason. Staff seemed very focused on serving Cambridge (for political reasons) and did not make it a priority to serve any other destinations, even sportsworld is poorly served.