My Pledge: I will work to get money added to Roads Rehabilitation
This past term, the Region of Waterloo built the first new bridge over the Grand River in 40 years. The new Fairway Bridge – I voted with Mayor Doug Craig to name it the Kossuth bridge, but what can you do? – links Cambridge and Kitchener and gives new routes to the 401 and Guelph. It is one of the areas of greenfield development, not everything is downtown intensification.
Three under/overpasses have been built this term, two in Kitchener and one at the Delta in Cambridge. The City of Waterloo has had a number of road upgrades and construction is all over the city. Ira Needles is going to four lanes.
People are saying that the Region is seriously cutting road work to pay for the LRT. Here are the actual figures for spending on road construction from Regional staff.
In the 2014 Budget, the additional $1.3 million that would have been added to the Roads Rehabilitation Reserve per the long-term funding strategy was cut along with an additional $1 million reduction to the transfer to the Roads Rehabilitation Reserve for a total reduction in the transfer to the Roads Rehabilitation Reserve of $2.3m.
The Net Operating Levy for Planning, Admin and Construction in 2014 was $26.2 million; for Operations and Maintenance the 2014 Net Operating Levy was $20.5 million for a total Roads Net Operating Levy of $46.7 million.
On the Capital Budget side – The 2014 Capital Budget was $93.5 million ($915 million over the 10 year forecast 2014-2023). The $915 million breaks down into $409 million for Rehabilitation projects, $ 476 million for expansion projects and $30 million for Vehicles, Buildings, Equipment, and other.
That being said, I will vote to have money put into the Roads Reserve this year.
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