01-10-2016, 10:27 AM
I can't believe I could actually agree with Outhit on anything. But on this I do: Kitchener fumbles follow-through on Grand River trail
BTW the article "Gaps in river trail still years from completion" by Greg Mercer linked above indicates that sections of the trail in city of Waterloo and the townships remain incomplete or ill-maintained. So this isn't just the fault of Kitchener. Realize too that this isn't just tax money. A full $6,000,000 is public donations. Some $800,000 remains unspent. How much more public support do politicians need to see in order to move them to action?
Where is the hue and cry about this travesty? Especially by those who donated their own time and money some 20 years ago.
Quote:Community donations surpassed $6 million, volunteer fundraisers concluded their campaign, and taxpayers agreed to maintain the trail. Most of it has been built. It's a treat that many enjoy. But it should have been completed and fully maintained.
Planners point to private landowners who are unwilling to host the trail in certain sections, and to river-related maintenance challenges. The fact that these hurdles have yet to be overcome tells us three things:
• Projects need a champion inside or outside city hall or they risk stalling.
• Politicians are often better at celebrating (sometimes prematurely) than they are at getting things done.
• Councils have to pay more attention to maintaining what's already built, before they move on to the next shiny thing.
It's time for Kitchener council to complete and maintain the Walter Bean trail with the same priority it assigned to celebrating it so long ago.
BTW the article "Gaps in river trail still years from completion" by Greg Mercer linked above indicates that sections of the trail in city of Waterloo and the townships remain incomplete or ill-maintained. So this isn't just the fault of Kitchener. Realize too that this isn't just tax money. A full $6,000,000 is public donations. Some $800,000 remains unspent. How much more public support do politicians need to see in order to move them to action?
Where is the hue and cry about this travesty? Especially by those who donated their own time and money some 20 years ago.