KW getting transit-inspired communities right

Now that the Ontario government has made its largest ever commitment to public infrastructure, it’s up to municipalities to maximize the investment by creating transit-inspired communities, says the Ontario Home Builders’ Association (OHBA).

Easier said than done, and Toronto is one, perhaps the most obvious, example of a city challenged to make the transition.

But there are some cities and towns in Ontario that are getting it right.

Case in point – Kitchener-Waterloo.

“Kitchener and Waterloo updated their Official Plans and zoning along their proposed LRT lines and, as of today, there are more than 10 transit-inspired communities along the LRT corridor that are attracting new homeowners,” OHBA CEO Joe Vaccaro told YPNextHome.

“The early success of Kitchener and Waterloo means the LRT will have the necessary ridership to support the long-term operation of the line, but more importantly, it means that new-home owners support connecting local land-use planning with the transit infrastructure.

“That is how your city-building should work – you connect the transit infrastructure to the local land-use planning and let the market bring forward great new communities that new homeowners support when they buy into them,” Vaccaro says.

One example of such a community is City Centre Condominiums by Andrin Homes, a new project located in downtown Kitchener within steps of the local Grand River Transit. The Region of Waterloo’s planned LRT and the GO Transit expansion will make the GTA more accessible for residents, but in the meantime the building offers such “smarter living” features as car plug-ins and a car-share program.

“While the budget did not reference Kitchener-specific projects for two-way all-day GO train service, it did include upgrades to the Kitchener GO line, and reiterated the current timeline for bringing full-service GO to Kitchener by 2024,” says Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic.

“We welcome the government’s recognition of the importance of transit projects beyond the (Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area),” he adds. “But clearly, more work needs to be done. We will continue to advocate for having two more trips on the line by 2016 – including a morning train – and to ensure that the existing 2024 timeline for full service is met.”

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