Chamber supports light rail

The Greater K-W Chamber of Commerce is conditionally supporting light rail as the preferred rapid transit option for Waterloo Region.

In a statement released earlier today, the Chamber described light rail as the "appropriate technology" to meet future transportation requirements for the region. Still, Chamber president and CEO Ian McLean is quick to point out this endorsement "is not a blank cheque."

"Before contracts are let and shovels go in the ground, answer the questions about how you're going to pay for it, what's the impact, how's it going to affect development charges and property taxes and all those things," McLean lists. "Because people want to know that."

Among the questions the Chamber would like to see answered:

*are any possible partnerships being explored with the private sector to mitigate project risk?

*when will a rail system be extended to Cambridge and how much will it cost?

*what budget increases should the region expect not just for LRT but also police services, public health and other infrastructure renewal, so as to present a true cost to taxpayers;

*will businesses directly affected by the construction of the system be reimbursed?

Despite the questions that McLean is insistent must be answered before construction can begin, he is equally adamant that inaction is not an option.

"Doing nothing is not a substitute for saying what you don't like," says McLean. "So if you don't like what's on offer, you'd better put something forward because we can't wait and start all over again."

The idea of a light rail system has been percolating in the region for the better part of a decade and McLean says it's time to move forward with the project. With a provincial election looming, he's also hopeful that the province can be persuaded to honour its 2007 commitment to fund two thirds of the project cost. The Ontario Liberals' current pledge of $300-million for the region's rapid transit plans falls about $235-million dollars short of that initial commitment.

"I think it's worth going back to them and saying 'this is such an important piece of infrastructure for the region and the province.' We are, as a region, an economic engine," McLean points out. "We should be going back and asking."

The next major hurdle for rapid transit comes on Wednesday, when regional council will debate Waterloo mayor Brenda Halloran's motion to hold a referendum on the issue.