Speech from Rally for Rails II

Thank you to Wonderful Waterloo and Tritag for inviting me to speak today on behalf of my family.

We're here to represent Family Faces of transit today and in the future. We are a one car family and we plan on always being a one car family. We represent many families in The Waterloo Region who choose to rely on transit as a Healthy alternative to car dependency. 

Last weekend we had the opportunity to take transit as a family to the Eco-fest at the Waterloo Regional Museum. We were surrounded by many families who chose to leave their cars behind and enjoy a stress free and environmentally friendly ride together. Fresh air and exercise were a welcomed activity as we walked to and from the bus stop.  Avoiding the packed parking lot was an added bonus. 

We've also had the privilege of living in Rome for schooling and in New Zealand to visit family. Light Rail Transit systems were an important part of our living experiences. While using their systems we observed how LRT was popular with families, extremely convenient to use and always a smooth & engaging ride for all family members. The proposed LRT for Waterloo Region is wheelchair friendly which means it's Stroller & Family Friendly. We know the LRT will attract all kinds of Families as we have witnessed it firsthand.

LRT critics want families to believe that it is a costly option. What they won't tell you is the cost of car dependency on our Health and Wellness. What they won't tell you is the cost of car dependency to our healthcare bill due to a lack of physical activity, traffic induced daily stress and fossil fuel-induced pollution.

Go to any School Council meeting in this Region and you will find parents advocating for Healthy alternatives within the school system. Light Rail Transit is one of those Healthy Alternatives that will be popular to parents. I guarantee you that parents will spend whatever money needed for the health and wellness of their children. 

We must tell the parents of our Region. LRT is the mechanism for cleaner air for our children now and in the future. The use of LRT is the mechanism for healthy living by getting us out of our cars and walking to a healthier lifestyle. The stop smoking campaign of yesterday is the get out of your car campaign of today.

Families want a healthy present for their children. They want a healthy future for their children and they are willing to pay for it as these are our children! The future of Healthcare is not in treatment - it is in prevention. LRT is the preventative mechanism for Healthier Lifestyles that Families WILL embrace! LRT is the mechanism for the Higher Quality of Life that is trendy & attractive to Families and they WILL get on board!

Bring Home the LRT to our Waterloo Region, as it is the ONLY Family Friendly option!!

Thank you to Cameron DearLove for photos from his Blog: CLICK-HERE

My Waterloo Is... Video Contest Winners: CLICK-HERE

LRT presentation for Region of Waterloo, May 31st, 2011

LRT - Faces to the Facts

 

(photo c/o Bob  Vrbanic of The Waterloo Chronicle)

Slide 1:  My name is André Arseneault of Uptown Waterloo and I'm here to represent my family as well as myself. I feel very confident with the research that the Waterloo Region has generated over the past several years. I'm here to simply put some Faces to the Facts.

Our Experience in Transit

Slide 2: As part of the education for the School of Architecture at University of Waterloo, I had the opportunity to study and live in Rome. (Lived there for 2 months)  While there, my family and I were solely dependent on public transportation.

When in Rome...

 

Slide 3:  One of the highlights of our experience was witnessing the integration of the new transportation technologies with the vehicular and pedestrian traffic.

Waiting for LRT in Rome

 

Slide 4:  Part of the joys of having my family accompany me in Rome was watching their curious reactions to the traffic, people, buses and trains.

One of the challenges in Rome was accessing the platforms and entering buses. I'm very excited about the purposed LRT that showcases platforms that are wheelchair friendly which are therefore stroller & family friendly.

 Entertaining for the Kids

Mesmerized Yvon, 2yrs. old

Slide 5:  The experience of using transit in Rome always provided natural entertainment.

On the Other Side of the World...

  Slide 6:  My wife was born in New Zealand which allows us to visit family and experience yet another world of transit.

Daily Commute

Auckland, NZ

Wellington, NZ

Slide 7:  A much less dense metropolis yet still the mix of light rail and buses play a significant role in the fabric of their major cities.  On a side note, my wife's cousin just came to visit and was completely shocked by our transit debate.  For him (where gas prices are well above $2.00NZD a litre or $1.60CND. Just came down from $2.30NZD a litre or $1.85CND) public transit - especially the energy efficient LRT - is in high demand as people leave their vehicles behind due to high cost of operations.

 Our upfront LRT costs pales in comparison to the costs of not building it. This is our near future in Waterloo Region. We need to be ready.

Creates Public Spaces

Melaia 1yr. old

 Slide 8:  The beauty of an attractive transit system is it creates the opportunity for interactive public spaces - which are closely tied to the transit routes.

Creates Public Spaces

Rémi 1yr. old in Roma

Roma

Slide 9:  Another side note, while my wife and I indulged in the transit and public spaces in Rome, we both lost between 20 - 30lbs each (all while indulging lots of Gelato!).  Public transit was amazing for our Health & Wellness.

Current Transit Not Sufficient

Public Square, Uptown Waterloo

 Slide 10:  We are a one car family and are committed to always being a one car family. We chose our location in Uptown in order to teach our children to rely on their feet and transit. So, I'm a regular user of the GRT system (with commutes to Conestoga College in Kitchener and The School of Architecture in Cambridge) and can see the need for an improved system that meets the high demand in the Region now as well as in the future.

We've Done Our Research

Watching and Participating in the Interactive Webcast

Slide 11:  We've done our research and we appreciate the wealth of online resources.

We Love LRT

Roma

New Zealand

 Slide 12:  We love LRT because of the positive Benefits for ourselves and our Environment.  With our son suffering from asthma, we also love the thought of cleaner air due to less vehicular pollution. 

Our experience has been that the LRT is a smooth, clean and enjoyable ride for ALL family members. It WILL attract families.  

Please don't dare discount these young LRT supporters & users of today - 

as they are the parents of the LRT users of tomorrow. 

Time to Face the Facts & Bring Home LRT

(photo c/o Bob  Vrbanic of The Waterloo Chronicle)

 Slide 13:  I'd like to thank the Waterloo Region for your thorough research done on our behalf. 

We trust in it and plead with you to stay on track and BUILD for us today and for our future.  

Thank you!!!!!