West Wellington town hall features transit talk
Posted Nov 27, 2009 By Rosalyn Stevens
Email
Print
Tweet ThisEMC News The West Wellington Community Association (WWCA) continued its series of town hall-style meetings recently with an assembly focused on the city's ongoing rapid transit planning.
Association president Jason Thompson said there was no particular reason behind the timing of the meeting, though with recent discussions regarding the rising costs of the first phase of the transit plan, it afforded residents the opportunity to hear from many different sides on the issues.
Kitchissippi ward Coun. Christine Leadman attended the meeting as a speaker, as did city planner Dennis Gratton, and John Verbaas, president of the City Centre Coalition.
"We just wanted a forum to ask them our questions," Mr. Thompson said.
Each speaker gave a short presentation, followed with questions from the audience. Mr. Gratton presented first, as the main topic of the meeting circulated around the downtown transit tunnel.
Concerns about the cost of the project were raised, especially news of the province's wavering support. Mr. Thompson said some residents questioned the need for a tunnel at all, citing examples of major cities with successful transit systems that do not incorporate an underground element.
"I'm not sure that that can be changed or not," he added.
Coun. Leadman said the conversation reflected others she's had with community members about the state of transit planning in the city.
"It's very typical," she said. "It's just like, are we ever going to get something built? It's ridiculous, it's costing too much."
The councillor said she's heard time and time again from residents who express frustration about the project.
"There's too much inconsistency," she said. "People don't feel confident in the management, transit people handling it themselves, and the costing."
Another issue brought up during the meeting, Coun. Leadman said, is the consideration that the city's plan will only accommodate morning and afternoon peak cross-town traffic. One way of addressing that concern, she said, is the idea of running light rail transit along Carling Ave., a route she has promoted with the help of Capital ward Coun. Clive Doucet. She said residents expressed that they feel bullied in a sense, stuck with the plan that was promoted by the city.
"It think that's the concern, that people feel they've been pushed into one option," Coun. Leadman said.
"That's kind of the way (the selection) went. We have four plans, and this is the one we want."
Mr. Thompson said the community would continue to discuss its concerns and issues at regular meetings and would participate in the process when opportunities allow.
