06-04-2026, 12:29 PM
(06-04-2026, 11:42 AM)the_conestoga_guy Wrote:(06-03-2026, 06:38 PM)ZEBuilder Wrote: An LRT along Ottawa from YKF to Sunrise Centre was conceptualized in ROPA 6, obviously ROPA 6 is no longer a governing document thanks to the Province, however the Cities are still incorporating ROPA 6 into their updated Official Plans. Given this the City of Kitchener is applying the same SGA zones to Ottawa St as they have already done in the PMTSAs through Growing Together. There's various other policies that are being added to Ottawa St because of ROPA 6 that will allow it to develop over time into a corridor that can have LRT, say good bye to drive-thrus and similar car oriented infrastructure, existing buildings will of course be grandfathered in however anything new must abide by the new rules once they are approved.Is the policy inhibiting transit growth along Victoria related to the "Auto Centric Commercial" introduced in the latest planning documents? I don't necessarily have anything against it, but I don't love them abutting this car-centred zoning directly against residential in the stretch West of the highway...
For everyone who wants Victoria it won't happen, there's other public policy documents including Provincial ones (this isn't Highway 7 related either) which effectively inhibits an LRT type development along Victoria for a long time.
To tie this back to the airport in this threat, I always though that Victoria would be a considerably better option for promoting growth and carrying higher-order transit than Ottawa, as it provides a better route to the airport. It's more meaningful for a route to run through both the downtown transit hub and past the new Bresleau GO station than Ottawa, which passes through neither plus necessitates a new Grand River crossing. Plus, any new Ottawa route will require much more tunnelling/elevated sections to navigate between Strasburg and Courtland compared to what would be required for a Victoria/Highland route...
I genuinely wonder what arguments have been taking place within the City/Region that are promoting the Ottawa route.
That "Auto Centric Commercial" area stretching all the way from Lancaster to Shirley that's identified in the Draft 2051 Official Plan is part of it, but there have been other documents that identify future uses that mean Victoria North will continue to be a stroad. I do not like it and do not understand it- building up a densified corridor along Victoria both South and North through the downtown makes sense to me. King and Victoria will be a more and more important place as you say; Ottawa Street has nothing comparable.
That same draft Official Plan identified Ottawa and River as one of only four "Urban Centres" outside of Downtown Kitchener. I guess it's true that the parcel of land the mall is on is a unique opportunity.