Re: Transit plan ‘dumb’ — July 16

Saying that a light rail transit system for Waterloo Region will be over budget because it would be a government project is pure speculation on the part of the writer of this letter. The region has $4 million in infrastructure money left over because we came in under budget. The regional museum was on time and on budget. Eighty-three per cent of our tenders came in on or under budget.

To include Cambridge in the first phase would double the budget and the city has fewer riders than Kitchener and Waterloo. Why does Cambridge have fewer riders? Because when Cambridge council looked after transit, it starved the city’s bus system. The region has built it up.

Originally, Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig was all for light rail transit. Craig is the boy who wants his share first, right now and if he can’t have it, then no one in the region can have it. A Waterloo Region Record report showed that Waterloo gets the least amount of money from the region. It’s about time my city got its share.

The regional official plan draws a hard line around the urban areas to stop sprawl. Light rail transit would stop sprawl because its purpose is intensification. The light rail transit will create 25,000 permanent jobs.

Speculating on federal money is premature. Once we know what money we have, regional council will sit down and look at all the options.