Quote:
Originally Posted by Snark
For any decision maker in London to stand up right now and be seen as pushing the light rail solution before a defensible case for it or another solution can be made through the EA process, could very well kill the project cold before the EA even is complete, as it's likely a similar groundswell of opposition will come out of the woodwork just as it did in Waterloo.
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In Waterloo Region there was also a groundswell of support, of which one of the most important sources was the business community. I firmly believe that a lot of that support materialized precisely because it was an LRT project aimed at changing the community and guiding its growth rather than a BRT line that may on paper make transit sense.
To be clear, BRT has plenty of merits, but I don't think its ability to spur cultural change or guide development is nearly as strong. And BRT has little ability to generate public enthusiasm; most of the enthusiasm for BRT in Waterloo Region was from those interested in it as a wedge to water down transit investment and impact on car lanes. (Hell, there's a nice record of it
here.)
Which is to say: if you are seeking goals beyond just the movement of people, LRT can be a good way to get there.