Every weekday morning, I wake up in Galt and drive northwards through a cobweb of busy highways to arrive in uptown Waterloo, where I work my (full-time) job.
Every day, I see Phase 1 of the Light-Rail Transit system (LRT) roll by and stop outside of my office window. Students flow outwards to universities; shoppers to local stores, museums, and restaurants; seniors stroll out for a day on the town; residents from new housing developments walk their toddlers to daycare.
The vibrancy and accessibility that this form of public transportation has created is palpable.
What I hear from local shop owners and residents is how the LRT has utterly transformed their areas for the better. It has revitalized business areas and created new neighbourhoods around its tracks, where once there were only empty streets. Crime goes down. Joy goes up.
There is not a day that goes by where I do not recognize how these transformative effects could, and must, come to Cambridge. After all, Cambridge has already paid our fair share of taxes for K-W’s LRT, and now it’s our turn to reap its rewards. But the time to act is now, as the window for Cambridge’s LRT is closing.
What is holding Cambridge back is not insurmountable.
First, this investment has risen to $2.72 billion in today’s dollars ($4.46 billion when stretched out to 2033 to include inflation and contingencies), higher than the $868 million for Phase 1 because construction costs have risen substantially and the Cambridge route is more complex to build.
What is forgotten is that the Region is set to make a business case to Federal and Provincial governments to cover these costs, just like the LRT projects in Hamilton, Hurontario, and others. Taxpayers are off the hook. We have nothing to lose by seeking this funding.
Second, embracing change can be difficult for many, and there is a fear that increased integration with K-W will somehow lessen the democratic power or political efficacy of Cambridge. I do not share this view, having lived in the UK when it made the ill-fated and rash decision to leave the European Union during ‘Brexit’. I learned then that geographic and economic isolationism will not heal, but will worsen social and economic frustrations. The world is becoming more integrated than ever, and Cambridge and the Region need each other to compete on a national and global level – economically and in terms of quality of life.
As Cambridge turns 50, the LRT would be the ultimate way to ‘bridge the community’ of Waterloo Region as a whole, heal scars remaining from the 1973 amalgamation of Galt, Preston, Hespeler, and Blair, and be a source of pride for our entire city.
The LRT would transport Cambridge to the bargaining table, not away from it.
Third, there exists a misconception that the LRT would somehow destroy the heritage culture of our city.
The reality is that historical shifts in landscapes, architecture, and modes of transportation are a natural evolution in every city on the planet. The LRT is currently set to arrive in the Galt core; the perfect location to spur economic, social, and cultural growth, by taking the Region’s residents to our city to showcase its heritage and its progress. Its slated path down Hespeler Road would take an underutilized retail strip barren of placemaking, and transform it into a series of vibrant neighbourhoods and parks that would finally beautify this gateway into our city while spurring incredible economic growth.
Cambridge must not drive into the future using the rear-view mirror; trying to move forward by looking backwards. This leads to stagnation.
Cambridge must be bold in moving forward on rails, providing future generations with an environmentally clean, safe, efficient mode of public transportation that is desperately needed, while simultaneously spurring growth and investment that protects the future viability of our community.
I love Cambridge. As my young children grow up here, I want them to know that their home learns from the past to build a better future. I envision a city steeped in opportunity and forward-thinking, proven strategies for transportation, growth, and community-building that make us leaders. That help us reach the city’s true potential.
This is why Cambridge needs the LRT. It will move all of us forward.
Scott Hamilton
Cambridge City Councillor (Ward 7)
