NC LRT Advocacy Group

[frinkprof]

As far as this group goes, here are my thoughts:

1. As a few others have said, the context is much different for this issue than it is for the Vancouver Broadway corridor, or even that of the WLRT which saw the BestWLRT group spring up. Therefore the objectives, tactics, and goals should be different. There's no group or solid plan that we would be countering really. No urgency to win a media war. More just being concerned about the City's current thinking on the routing of the NCLRT and trying to convince them and work with them to take a different direction or giving an option to consider.

2. I think we should come up with some sort of formal document, be it a report or proposal. Obviously a web presence is needed as well. I don't know if we need to go as far as having a domain name at this time, but a blogspot or wordpress account would probably be in order.

3. Scope. Do we limit ourselves to producing a concept plan with alternatives and costing of one line? Do we tackle a longer-term network, and if so, do we do it all from the start, or just focus on the one line and move on from there? I don't think we have the funding nor expertise to get into the business of preliminary designs and soil studies, so we can only do so much. I think it's best to keep the scope to something we can manage, while still being able to produce well thought out and presentable material that will be looked at and listened to.

4. Organization. We clearly have enough ideas and the skills to investigate them further and come up with something to show the City. How do we get it done though? A lot of stuff could be done via e-mail, etc., but should we organize meetings every now and again?

Anyway... just some thoughts.

Maybe a show of hands in who would be willing to be involved in a group? Involved doesn't have to mean writing and editing half a report or even coming to meetings. It could simply mean being in the loop and voicing your opinion on a station location.

I, of course, would be interested.