Key rapid transit issues to be discussed Thursday at London City Hall

Members of the city’s rapid transit implementation working group are sure to be in for a bumpy ride when they meet on Thursday to discuss some of the key issues surrounding London’s rapid transit plans.

Among the biggest concerns raised by downtown merchants include the uncertainty surrounding the proposed route along King Street and disruption to business access along Richmond Street during construction.

Putting a rapid transit route on King Street addressed a problem discovered by officials earlier this year; that Dundas Street in the core and in Old East Village may be too narrow for a single dedicated transit lane, without sacrificing curbside parking.

Some businesses are worried about the impact of construction and other changes, including a lack of parking and loading zones.

The chair of the rapid transit implementation working group, Coun. Phil Squire, is disappointed with the lack of effective public consultation.

“What I’m seeing is that our entire consultation process just did not get the job done,” he said. “In other words, people are now just finding out what rapid transit looks like on the ground, and they want to have input. They want to be able to say, ‘look, this is what we like, this is what we don’t like, this is what we like about this route or don’t like,’ but I don’t think that’s the route the city is going.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "What I'm seeing is that our entire consultation process just did not get the job done," he said. "In other words, people are now just finding out what rapid transit looks like on the ground, and they want to have input. They want to be able to say, 'look, this is what we like, this is what we don't like, this is what we like about this route or don't like,' but I don't think that's the route the city is going."

The Ward 6 councillor said the city’s head engineer told him during a recent meeting that city staff likely won’t change their route recommendations, despite consulting with core stakeholders.

“If I go to the public and I say to them, ‘look, we want your input,’ they’re going to say, ‘input on what? You’ve already decided the routes so why are we having input,’ so it’s frustrating for me, it certainly is, and I’m hearing loud and clear from the public,” Squire said.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "If I go to the public and I say to them, 'look, we want your input,' they're going to say, 'input on what? You've already decided the routes so why are we having input,' so it's frustrating for me, it certainly is, and I'm hearing loud and clear from the public," Squire said.

Squire notes council has the power to force a change to the routes before a vote to potentially finalize the routes in late April.

“I’m certainly open to any changes that are reasonable and I’ve made that clear,” he said. “I can’t speak for other councillors what they’re open to, I would hope they would be open to change.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "I'm certainly open to any changes that are reasonable and I've made that clear," he said. "I can't speak for other councillors what they're open to, I would hope they would be open to change."

Squire also has concerns about a proposed $90-million tunnel running under Richmond Street that would be used exclusively by rapid transit buses and emergency vehicles.

The meeting of the rapid transit implementation working group is scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m.