Waterloo Region is facing many of the same challenges experienced by other rapidly growing communities throughout North America including increasing traffic congestion, outward pressure on urban boundaries, public health concerns and downtowns desperately in need of revitalization. Many of these impacts are directly related to society's dependence on the automobile. Rapid transit is an integral component of Waterloo Region's Regional Growth Management Strategy (RGMS), approved by Regional Council in 2003. Rapid Transit will act as a catalyst for reurbanization bringing together land use planning and transportation infrastructure in an innovative approach to community building. Some of the benefits of rapid transit discussed in this paper include increased modal share brought on by ridership growth with added development around rapid transit stations, reduced urban sprawl and pressure on the urban boundaries, mitigating congestion with policies and resources to control increased traffic in the downtown cores, connections with inter-city transit, minimizing the impact of growth (development and traffic) on climate change and heightening public safety through station area design principles and enhanced security for pedestrians and residents living around stations. For the covering abstract of this conference see ITRD number E216511.
Abstract