In response to a blog post with Brenden’s company’s wonderful infographic, I received the following letter. Its nice having dialogue about LRT and what it means to the region.

I support LRT. I think it’s good for our overall development. I feel this way because I lived in Asia for many years and I’ve seen first hand what happens to cities when infrastructure falls short of demand.

I like this letter because it raises many questions I hadn’t thought of. Perhaps Waterloo Region and the LRT planners and supporters could argue their case better if we addressed some of these points.

I don’t agree with everything in this letter, but here is the letter in entirety.
Letter writer’s name has been changed to Boris. Boris is a cool name.

On 25/05/11 11:51 PM, Boris wrote:

I took the time to read your Blog Post, I hope you take the time to read this reply

A response to Brenden’s Company’s Wonderful Infographic

“Population growth to 720,000 by 2031”

-Where are these people going to come from?  The GTA, Halifax, Calgary, immigration?  This is something we are not being told.

As pulled from your own article, a quote from David Suzuki:

“The more cities sprawl outward, the more we damage the environment and our health.”

-How is it green to pave over the region’s green space to build more housing for the population increase?

Since the proposed LRT is being proposed to run down King Street, an already developed area, the only way for the cities (K-W) to expand, is outward.

Waterloo region has 3 options:

1) Do nothing (just build more roads)
A) $9.60 tax increase
B) Lose federal funding
C) Traffic jams increase

If you are building more roads, how are we going to experience an increase in traffic jams?

Even with the LRT it won’t guarantee that people will be willing to use it without some sort of coercion (ie. tax break for transit users, higher taxes on drivers, or combination of both) and without that coercion there is no way that you can guarantee that the LRT will attract more riders.

As for the reduction in greenhouse gasses, we won’t get into it over the “man made global warming”, “give us more taxes (and purchase carbon credits) so we can save the environment” scam!

Even with the LRT, we will still need the BRT, so now, we will be running and servicing both systems.  Brenden’s company’s wonderful infographic seems to be misleading people into thinking that the LRT will eliminate the BRT.

Take Toronto’s subway system as an example (although Waterloo region is a smaller scale, the same would apply).  The bus system is still required to transport large masses of people to it.  Also, the subway system is underground and does not affect traffic flow as would the LRT being proposed.

“The BRT will be more expensive over the long run.”

What does “over the long run” mean?  What is the term we are talking about here?  That was conveniently left out.

Like I stated earlier, we will still require the BRT.  We can save a lot of money by just not building the LRT (and later servicing it) and using that money to maintain and expand the BRT where needed on the new roads which will be built.

It is estimated that by 2031 the transit time for the ixpress bus (BRT) will be 56 minutes and only 39 minutes for the LRT.  Seventeen minutes.  Oh no, I won’t be able to make it home to see American Idol!  In order to save 17 minutes, some people are willing to spend $818 million.

As for the $818 million price tag, what are the odds of this thing being built on time and on budget.  You know as well as I do that this thing is going to run into delays and cost over-runs.  Then, we have interest to pay on all that money.  The cost will most definately surpass the $1 billion mark.

There is no guarantee that the LRT will bring tech companies to Waterloo Region.  Have any of these companies signed a contract with the region guaranteeing this?  No.  It is nothing more than just speculation.

Comparing the Conestoga Parkway to the LRT is like comparing apples to oranges.  If you take the population as a whole, more people choose to drive a vehicle over the option of taking public transit.

The LRT may have a capacity of 450 people, but let’s face it, we will not see that capacity number met without some sort of coercion.  The only other way to meet capacity will be long and inconvenient departure times, which is the main reason why people do not use public transit today.

As for provincial and federal funding for the project, there is only one tax payer.  The people of Waterloo Region will not only face higher taxes from the region, but also from the provincial and federal governments for something that will only used by a few, as opposed to the vast majority.  Waterloo Region’s option number 1 of “Do nothing (just build more roads)”, will benefit all of Waterloo’s residents whether they drive a vehicle or make use of the BRT.

Under your view supporting the LRT, you must agree that you do not drive my car, but should also be responsible for the costs associated with the purchase and maintenance of it.  I will be waiting eagerly for a personal cheque from you.

As a real estate agent, will you be using the LRT to conduct business?  Somehow, I doubt that you will be transporting clients around the city using the LRT.

Also, the LRT will have little positive impact on real estate values for property not located within walking distance.

Boris

:

:

Boris

You’ve raised some great and interesting points and questions. I don’t have the answers to them. I am not a city planner or a politician. I support LRT mainly because I really believe it is the best thing for our long-term future. I may not use it much myself, but future generations will and I don’t mind paying for it.
I lived in Ottawa as a university student. The region there had opted for busses and they were efficient and I took them to and from university for four years.
But buses are stigmatized. Buses are for losers. They are just not a modern way to travel. That’s how I feel. I think many people who live in the Capital Region feel the same way. Light rail is being planned for Ottawa now.
I lived in Taipei for ten years. Before, during and after the MRT. In 1989 the city seemed like Bladerunner (remember the movie with Harrison Ford?). Ten years later, in 1999, the city was sleek and modern and efficient. Having lived through the crush of traffic in Taipei and other Asian cities, sooner or later I think, we are going to need light rail, might as well build it now.

Keith

Filed under: About me, Around Kitchener Waterloo, editorial, general news by Keith Marshall
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Look at this great little bungalow in Westmount/UpTown Waterloo. It’s on quiet street and a huge lot. The house was built in 1953 but has been lovingly upgraded. It’s carpet free with original hardwood.

It has new paint throughout, a new kitchen (new dishwasher) and new main floor bathroom. The master bedroom is on the main floor naturally.

If schools are important to you, you should know that the two top elementary schools in Waterloo Region are walking distance – Empire school and Our Lady of Lourdes.

Also close to UpTown shopping, Waterloo Park and both universities.

Parking for three cars.

MLS 1125027

$320,000

This property is currently rented. 

More properties here

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Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, Buying Real Estate, for sale, uptown waterloo by Keith Marshall
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A few months ago, I wrote a blog  “Where are the best schools in Kitchener Waterloo?” about the rankings of the public and catholic schools, both elementary and secondary in Waterloo Region. School rankings are very important to some people. I’m one of them. More than a decade ago when I moved, with my young family, to Kitchener Waterloo and we chose to live in Westmount/Uptown because we discovered in our own home search that Empire School was the best school in the region.

It was a wise choice back then and it’s a wise choice today.

School rankings don’t change radically from year to year. There are sometimes boundary changes, which affect the scores and new schools opening can change a lot as they settle into a neighborhood and the neighborhood settles around them.

That said, here are links to the top schools.

Top elementary schools in Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge

Top Catholic elementary schools in Kitchener Waterloo and Cambridge

Top secondary schools in Waterloo Region

Top Catholic secondary schools in Waterloo Region

The Fraser Institute

The Fraser Institute is an independent Canadian public policy research and educational organization with active research ties with similar independent organizations in more than 75 countries around the world. Throughout their exploration of issues that affect citizens, the Fraser Institute attempts to discuss complex economic subjects in a manner that can be easily understood by everyone.

In order to improve public institutions such as schools, their performance needs to be measured. With the Frazier Institute’s research into the performance of Canadian schools, you can compare the performance of your local school to those in other communities. This helps you make more informed choices and points to areas in which these institutions can improve.

School performance

How does your school rate? The Frazier Institute’s school report cards measure the academic performance of schools in Alberta, British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec based on the results of province-wide tests.

For complete results, visit The Frasier Institute.

Keith Marshall

Keith Marshall is a real estate agent with Prudential Grand Valley Realty, serving Kitchener, Waterloo and Cambridge. If you’re thinking of buying or selling your home, please give me a call. I aim to take the stress and mystery out of the home buying and selling process.

If you have real estate questions, or questions about different neighborhoods and developments or things to do in KW, you can chat with me live on my homepage or contact me by phone or email. Sign up for my newsletter.

Looking for a new home near a good school? Check out our current listings

Filed under: advice, Around Kitchener Waterloo, Buying Real Estate, investing in real estate by Keith Marshall
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Today, there is a LRT Poster Distribution event (Round 1) scheduled. The facebook page says “We’ll be meeting to put up posters in the Uptown/WLU/UW areas on Sunday. We have posters and will have some clear packing tape. If you’d like to contribute, please bring more packing tape. 30 minutes, an hour, two hours, three – any time you can spare to help us get as many LRT posters up as possible.”

Yesterday in the newspaper, there was an opinion piece titled “Light rail is the right vision for an ambitious region”. It began “Waterloo Region is a community that is slowly but surely gaining its place on the international map. Our community is being pointed to as the home of world-leading high-tech companies, colleges, universities, research-and-development centres and think tanks. We are envied the world over for having broadened our base beyond traditional manufacturing to emerge as leaders in the new knowledge economy. Determination, co-operation and innovation continue to be key drivers of success — the very qualities on which our community was built. The accomplishments of this region in an ever changing and complex world have been astonishing. So the question is: Just how ambitious and successful do we aspire to be in the future?”

Last week, KWAR (Kitchener Waterloo Association of Realtors) posted on their website a blog post “LOCAL REALTORS SUPPORT LIGHT RAIL” stating that 71% of local realtors support light rail.

In the past few months, we have had rallies, public information sessions and newspaper articles. Organizations, businesses, think tanks, and individuals are all getting organized and getting involved. Flyers, posters, infographics are being distributed.

Although I am not fanatical about light rail, I do support it. I think it is an important step in Waterloo Regions continuing and future development. As a real estate agent, I won’t be able to take advantage of light rail in my daily commute. But I’m willing to have my taxes go up (which seems to be the main argument against light rail).

A little more than a decade ago, I choose to move my family here. It was the right decision to make at the time. Just like light rail is the right decision for the people of Waterloo Region to make at this time.

My pal Brenden’s company did this wonderful infographic:

Snapsort‘s LRT for Dummies Infographic
 

Filed under: Around Kitchener Waterloo, editorial, uptown waterloo by Keith Marshall
1 Comment »

Do home sellers have to tell you about the sex offender who lives next door?

Recently an Ontario judge decided, yes.

With buying and selling homes, there is a lot at stake. Real estate agents are bound by a duty to disclose to potential buyers all material facts that we know about a home. If we know it, we have to tell it. Further to that, if we “should” know it, we also have to tell it.

I wrote before about latent defects:

A latent defect is a hidden defect. It’s a physical deficiency or construction defect not readily ascertained from the reasonable inspection of the property, such as a defective septic tank or underground sewage system, or improper plumbing or electrical lines. (Conversely, a patent defect is readily discernible to the untrained eye.)

Real estate agents are expected to be knowledgeable about certain circumstances that might not be readily apparent to the casual observer. Even if such defects cannot be directly seen, an awareness of their existence (actual or contemplated) may be required.

My real estate insurance fees are high. They are high because if I say something to my clients like, “Oh no, airplanes hardly ever fly over this neighborhood” and it turns out they do, I should get sued. (I actually encourage it). I should know this kind of information or if asked, I should be able to find out.

But what about the sex offender who lives next door? Is that a latent defect?

Recently an Ontario judge concluded that it is. It raises intriguing questions about honesty in real estate and the treatment of some of society’s most reviled criminals.

The buyers launched the suit over a house they bought in Bracebridge last June, only to be told later that a neighbour opposite them had been found guilty 10 years earlier of possession of child pornography – a fact they allege was well-known to everyone in the suburban enclave, including the sellers.

The sellers, the judge has decided should have disclosed this material fact. Under real estate law and the principle of caveat emptor  (buyer beware), a seller is not obliged to disclose information about a property that a reasonable inspection would detect. If they are aware of a “latent,” or hidden, defect that renders a house unfit for habitation or dangerous, however, they may be required to tell the purchasers, the judge noted in her decision.

Filed under: advice, Buying Real Estate, editorial, home owners by Keith Marshall
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