Grand River Transit

[danbrotherston]

Here's a wild thought, toss out the road-expansion plans for the next year but keep the transit improvements. I know, radical.

Just for some context, right now we are doing the exact opposite. Rural and Cambridge transit expansions have been cancelled, but council approved a 8.7 million dollar road expansion.

https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/major-construction-project-for-fischer-hallman-road-gets-the-green-light-1.4908216

[tomh009]

I do believe the federal government has funding available for shovel-ready construction projects, so that might include the Fischer-Hallman project. Transit funding would come from a separate bucket, though.

[danbrotherston]

I do believe the federal government has funding available for shovel-ready construction projects, so that might include the Fischer-Hallman project. Transit funding would come from a separate bucket, though.

That wasn’t really my point, and right now, this isn’t federal money, this is regional money, 8 million to a road is fine, but 2 million for transit is not.

[tomh009]

I do believe the federal government has funding available for shovel-ready construction projects, so that might include the Fischer-Hallman project. Transit funding would come from a separate bucket, though.

That wasn’t really my point, and right now, this isn’t federal money, this is regional money, 8 million to a road is fine, but 2 million for transit is not.

If it's all region-funded with no federal subsidy, then please consider my comment above to be null and void.

[WLU]

Here's a wild thought, toss out the road-expansion plans for the next year but keep the transit improvements. I know, radical.

Just for some context, right now we are doing the exact opposite. Rural and Cambridge transit expansions have been cancelled, but council approved a 8.7 million dollar road expansion.

https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/major-construction-project-for-fischer-hallman-road-gets-the-green-light-1.4908216

Great to see this road expansion finally getting done.  Has been discussed for sometime now and is sorely needed.  I would say for the usage it gets and the amount of people who will benefit, it's a bargain at $8.7 million.

[Bob_McBob]

Which GRT route expansions were actually cancelled? Is it the same stuff they were trying to cancel last November?

I note they also cancelled the fare increase as well as the new income-based fare discount program.

[danbrotherston]

Which GRT route expansions were actually cancelled? Is it the same stuff they were trying to cancel last November?

I note they also cancelled the fare increase as well as the new income-based fare discount program.

Yes, that was what they cancelled.

As for the fare increases, I don't know if this is simply a writing choice by the reporter, or if council actually worded their motions differently, but the fare increase was reported as "deferred" not "cancelled". Which, given the fares on the system are free right now, makes sense.

[ijmorlan]

And what if you factor in the environmental costs of the road and the sprawl that it will generate?  It won’t improve traffic, it will simply induce more traffic. Still a bargain?  What else could we have spent that 8 million on?

You can also expect more and more businesses to open in that area as well.

And people will get to those businesses using whatever facilities the City and Region have built.

If we build roads, people will drive.

If we build transit lanes and LRT, people will take transit.

Of course I’ve expressed this in a simplistic way, as if we would build only roads or only transit, and as if either everybody would use roads or everybody would use transit, but in the real world these alternatives co-exist in various proportions and people’s choices follow what is available in different places.

As a matter of efficiency, we should be building transit, not roads, in most places. Exceptions for odd bottlenecks or missing turn lanes, where a small investment can improve the value of existing infrastructure or make it more consistent. If people want more roads maybe they should form a joint-stock corporation and build them privately. Free government services should start with necessities and move on to luxuries only as they become affordable. Uncongested toll-free roads during rush hour are definitely a luxury.

[ijmorlan]

Oh, yeah, and what’s this “filthy public transit” nonsense? I agree that we should spend more on maintenance and cleaning, even pre-Covid (i.e., transit funding should be higher), but it’s a bit rich for somebody to call public transit filthy given the amount of pollution caused by car operation.

[tomh009]

Oh, yeah, and what’s this “filthy public transit” nonsense? I agree that we should spend more on maintenance and cleaning, even pre-Covid (i.e., transit funding should be higher), but it’s a bit rich for somebody to call public transit filthy given the amount of pollution caused by car operation.

I took it as a bus or LRT train having a higher likelihood of COVID-19 transmission than a single-person private car. But maybe my interpretation was wrong?

[danbrotherston]

Oh, yeah, and what’s this “filthy public transit” nonsense? I agree that we should spend more on maintenance and cleaning, even pre-Covid (i.e., transit funding should be higher), but it’s a bit rich for somebody to call public transit filthy given the amount of pollution caused by car operation.

I took it as a bus or LRT train having a higher likelihood of COVID-19 transmission than a single-person private car. But maybe my interpretation was wrong?

Using the word filthy does not express that, yes, that is probably what they meant, but it is not what they said.  The word choice seems intentional, wrt to transit.

[tomh009]

I took it as a bus or LRT train having a higher likelihood of COVID-19 transmission than a single-person private car. But maybe my interpretation was wrong?

Using the word filthy does not express that, yes, that is probably what they meant, but it is not what they said.  The word choice seems intentional, wrt to transit.

Yes ... assuming that my interpretation was correct, that is definitely not the most appropriate word.

[tomh009]

Roads/transportation discussion now moved into its own "Road design, transportation and walkability" thread.
https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/...p?tid=1473

[KevinT]

Roads/transportation discussion now moved into its own "Road design, transportation and walkability" thread.
https://www.waterlooregionconnected.com/...p?tid=1473

Thanks, it had gotten way out of hand.

[bgb_ca]

To get back on topic, looks like GRT is reducing service again.

May service reductions

Further service reductions will go into effect on May 18, 2020.

Updated schedules have been added to trip planning tools and the Schedules page: grt.ca/schedules

The following service changes will go into effect on Monday, May 18 and will remain in effect until further notice:

• Route 3, 4, 9, 13, 19, 22, 56, 57, 60 - reduced frequency on weekday evenings to every 60 minutes.
  
  
• Route 6, 7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 16, 19, 28, 201, 206 - trips departing after midnight cancelled 7 days a week.
  
  
• Route 301 ION light rail - trips departing after midnight cancelled - starting Sunday, May 17.
  
  
• Route 7 – short turn trips between Conestoga Station and Waterloo Public Square removed during weekday evening peak.
  
  
• Route 26 – weekday late evening service cancelled.
  
  
• Route 55 – reduced to run one-way only (counterclockwise, via Churchill).
  
  
• Route 203 – service between Sportsworld Station and Conestoga College removed during weekday midday.
  
  
• Route 73, 76, 901 – all service cancelled.
  
  
• Route 9, 13, 19 - reduced frequency on Sundays to every 60 minutes