Statement by Michelle Torsney

Our city needs LRT! This is an investment in our future. I implore our city council to please stay the course. The evidence is clear that to continue our trajectory to be the amazing city that we can be we need to do two things:
1) develop our waterfront;
2) have a state of the art transportation system.
How do we fiinance this?
By attracting more tax paying citizens. The housing crisis in Toronto, the rise of the our arts community in Hamilton, and the increasing recognition of the desirability of walkable neighbourhoods will attract an influx of young urban tax payers. Our financial future depends on developing our urban centre and attracting young urban tax payers. Two car families and suburban living is generally not considered desirable by the under 40 age group. This is consistent with trends in Europe where LRT comfortably makes its way through architecturally interesting cities (think Dublin, Milan, Berlin, etc).
Our city is undergoing a major transformation. We seem to be a tale of two cities: urbanites and suburbanites. Urbanites are comfortable with and welcome public transportation. Suburbanites want garages for 2 cars and may not appreciate the urban sensibility. We can accommodate both kinds of thinkers. Ultimately though, we need to increase our tax base by attracting more taxpayimg residents and businesses. We need to transform our urban areas from abandoned, derelict spaces to livable, walkable, desirable urban living and working spaces. We live in unique, geographically amazing city. We will ALL benefit as a community as we ride the wave of transformation. An LRT system will attract much needed urban tax payers to realize the dream of a culturally and financially rich, sustainable community. We need LRT!

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