+- Waterloo Region Connected (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com)
+-- Forum: Waterloo Region Works (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=14)
+--- Forum: Transportation and Infrastructure (https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=25)
+--- Thread: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London (/showthread.php?tid=306)
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - SammyOES - 02-14-2018
And the new highway 7 has taken a few decades too.
I generally think its less about any particular differences between roads and rails and more about the general slowness of massive infrastructure projects (and Governments) - especially transportation ones that require dealing with a really large area (vs. say even the LRT which is at least limited to a smaller geographical area).
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - ijmorlan - 02-14-2018
Good points. And especially the 7 I think has been good for several announcements over the years.
Maybe the real key is the need of politicians to make as many announcements as possible for as little actual spending as possible.
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - Rainrider22 - 02-14-2018
(02-14-2018, 01:26 PM)ijmorlan Wrote: Good points. And especially the 7 I think has been good for several announcements over the years.
Maybe the real key is the need of politicians to make as many announcements as possible for as little actual spending as possible.
Bingo..... Tell the people what they want to hear and you will get votes...
Following through with actions ? That is just crazy talk...
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - timc - 02-14-2018
Well, following through means spending money. Which means taxes. So, yeah, talking about it gets you a lot more gain than actually doing something.
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - Rainrider22 - 02-14-2018
we elect people to make those tough decisions though. Anyone can make the popular decision to save money. That is what Ken Seiling did well, He din't shy away from LRT. HE saw it not for his generation but the future generations. We like to call that a transformational leader... It takes courage and strength to hold the line... I applaud him for it. Others would do well to learn from leaders with integrity.
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - MacBerry - 02-15-2018
(02-13-2018, 02:37 PM)jamincan Wrote: Honestly, at this point you have to wonder if it isn't just a make-work program for retired transportation experts and politicians.
Yes!
Good six figure jobs for political hacks are the perks of political incest!
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - bgb_ca - 03-29-2018
https://twitter.com/berryonline/status/979094191522299904?s=19
I smell an election coming up
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - Rainrider22 - 03-29-2018
Oh yes, beloved promises which are meaningless.
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - panamaniac - 03-29-2018
(03-29-2018, 07:13 AM)Rainrider22 Wrote: Oh yes, beloved promises which are meaningless.
Or, if not meaningless, can be tossed by the next government.
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - danbrotherston - 03-29-2018
(03-29-2018, 08:09 AM)panamaniac Wrote:(03-29-2018, 07:13 AM)Rainrider22 Wrote: Oh yes, beloved promises which are meaningless.
Or, if not meaningless, can be tossed by the next government.
Isn't this being put in the budget?
It's hardly meaningless then. It's real money that's being planned.
If we vote for a government which cancels it, that's on *US* not the government.
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - panamaniac - 03-29-2018
(03-29-2018, 08:16 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:(03-29-2018, 08:09 AM)panamaniac Wrote: Or, if not meaningless, can be tossed by the next government.
Isn't this being put in the budget?
It's hardly meaningless then. It's real money that's being planned.
If we vote for a government which cancels it, that's on *US* not the government.
Indeed, where "US" = Ontario. At this moment, I make no predictions, latest polls notwithstanding.
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - JoeKW - 03-29-2018
(03-29-2018, 08:16 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:(03-29-2018, 08:09 AM)panamaniac Wrote: Or, if not meaningless, can be tossed by the next government.
Isn't this being put in the budget?
It's hardly meaningless then. It's real money that's being planned.
If we vote for a government which cancels it, that's on *US* not the government.
While I agree with the general principle written above there's also the reality that the Liberals are very unlikely to win this election and they know it. It's easy to put something huge in the budget when you think you won't be around to see it through. This would be a lot more meaningful if it was in last years budget.
This budget is transparently an election platform and I don't think it was put together in good faith. It will be interesting to see what happens to it if the Liberals manage to hang on. (Fwiw, I'm all for this stuff)
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - danbrotherston - 03-29-2018
(03-29-2018, 09:33 AM)JoeKW Wrote:(03-29-2018, 08:16 AM)danbrotherston Wrote: Isn't this being put in the budget?
It's hardly meaningless then. It's real money that's being planned.
If we vote for a government which cancels it, that's on *US* not the government.
While I agree with the general principle written above there's also the reality that the Liberals are very unlikely to win this election and they know it. It's easy to put something huge in the budget when you think you won't be around to see it through. This would be a lot more meaningful if it was in last years budget.
This budget is transparently an election platform and I don't think it was put together in good faith. It will be interesting to see what happens to it if the Liberals manage to hang on. (Fwiw, I'm all for this stuff)
While this is fair enough, I do think that it being in the budget makes it a little bit more than a "meaningless promise". The budget is a platform, but it is also a budget, and thus carries a little more weight than the platform of any other party.
The idea that they think they might lose and thus are willing to put things in the budget they wouldn't otherwise is interesting.
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - NotStan - 03-29-2018
(03-29-2018, 11:22 AM)danbrotherston Wrote:(03-29-2018, 09:33 AM)JoeKW Wrote: While I agree with the general principle written above there's also the reality that the Liberals are very unlikely to win this election and they know it. It's easy to put something huge in the budget when you think you won't be around to see it through. This would be a lot more meaningful if it was in last years budget.
This budget is transparently an election platform and I don't think it was put together in good faith. It will be interesting to see what happens to it if the Liberals manage to hang on. (Fwiw, I'm all for this stuff)
While this is fair enough, I do think that it being in the budget makes it a little bit more than a "meaningless promise". The budget is a platform, but it is also a budget, and thus carries a little more weight than the platform of any other party.
The idea that they think they might lose and thus are willing to put things in the budget they wouldn't otherwise is interesting.
I agree it is not entirely meaningless. But it is still a long way from being a hard commitment. The government similarly made commitments to HWY 7 how long ago and we are still several years away from that being completed. Even if the libs win they will have ample opportunity and ability to not follow thru on this.
RE: High-Speed Rail (HSR) - Toronto/Pearson/Kitchener/London - Canard - 03-29-2018
Except Hwy 7 is happening, and I can absolutely guatentee if Ford gets in, HSR is the first thing he’d cancel.
![[Image: giphy.gif]](https://media.giphy.com/media/xThtaoY1cBI7w7d0xW/giphy.gif)