Council Round Up - May 2023
A snapshot of what's happening in council chambers around Waterloo Region
There have been several important conversations happening at local councils over the last couple of months. You may notice a common thread this time though, as traffic-related discussions seemed to be happening across the region.
Cambridge:
Cambridge council had previously identified 48 locations that were “reviewed and prioritized for its Speed Management Program. Roads were grouped into three categories, identified by the speed at which 85 per cent of the drivers are travelling at or below the posted speed limit.” 22 of those locations will soon see interventions such as radar message boards and Tommy and Friends placards. Others will get some special treatment, such as pedestrian island installations; no-parking signs installed and pavement markings; seasonal traffic calming installations; and curb extensions to narrow the road.
The staff report explained that residents sometimes request interventions that are not intended to control speed or are not effective, such as traffic signals, all-way stops and isolated reduced speed limits. Staff note that, “Using the wrong tools to address a traffic issue may not necessarily solve the concern and may create additional safety issues.”
Click here for more information on locations where Speed Management has been implemented.
Kitchener:
Kitchener also had traffic calming on their radar (ha!) when they approved “several ‘hot spot’ street safety improvements as part of a broader Vision Zero strategy.” Those improvements, which will be implemented at over a dozen Kitchener locations, include:
installing speed humps and cushions;
pedestrian refuge islands;
traffic signals and other modifications
The City recently released the first of several public service videos as part of the Vision Zero program. Future videos will focus on specific driving behaviours and will be released later this year. Watch the video. Visit the Vision Zero dashboard to find collision statistics and progress on Vision Zero.
In non-traffic news, Kitchener Council recently discussed potential changes to their fireworks policy. Previously, fireworks were allowed on Victoria Day, Canada Day and Diwali, as well as the day before and after. The new by-law limits fireworks to only those specific holidays (removing the option for the day before and after), as well as now including an end time of 11pm. There was some discussion about including Lunar New Year’s to the list but that failed in a tie vote. You can read my recap of that meeting here.
Waterloo:
Not to be left out of the traffic discussions, Waterloo council approved a speed limit plan, that seems a bit confusing to me (even if the measures themselves are welcomed). The press release explains the changes as follows: “The plan will see speed limits in Wards 1-6 reduced for local roads, collector roads and school zones by establishing a speed limit of 30 km/h in all school zones, 40 km/h on minor collector (eg. Thorndale Drive) roads, 50 km/h on major collector (eg. Davenport Road) roads and 40 km/h on local roads. In addition, staff were directed to implement a ward specific Ward 7 speed limit plan of 30 km/h in all school zones and local roads, 40 km/h on minor collector roads, 50 km/h on major collector roads.” Click to read my Twitter thread of that council meeting.
Region:
The Region got into traffic issues as well with their decision to close the Lancaster St. ramps. When this was presented to committee a couple weeks earlier, council supported the decision to close the ramps. However, the decision was reversed at the final council discussion (Councillor Harris was absent from the committee vote and Councillor Foxton switched her vote from being in support of closure, to opposing it). During that time, Kitchener Council also voted on the issue with all councillors, except ward 10’s Aislinn Clancy, voted to see the ramps remain open.
Those Regional councillors in support of closing the ramps (Redman, Deutschmann, James, Erb, Huinink, Williams, Wolf, McCabe) expressed concern that AAA cycling infrastructure (cycling infrastructure that supports All Ages and Abilities) planned in this area will be negatively impacted if the ramps stay open, as well as the feedback received via EngageWR seemed largely in support of ramp closures. Those wanting the ramps to remain open (Vrbanovic, Harris, Craig, Foxton, Liggett, Nowak, Shantz, and Salonen) stated concerns that businesses could be negatively impacted and the impact this may have on residents’ access to certain things like grocery stores. The vote resulted in a tie which means the motion fails and we are left with the status quo of ramps remaining open. You can read more about the council discussion here.
While Regional Council has made their decision about the Lancaster St ramps, given this project would fall under the Ministry of Transportation, I am looking into other avenues for advocacy to get the ramps closed. If you have thoughts about what that could look like and/or would like to be involved in some way, feel free to connect with me!
There have been a number of important housing decisions recently, too.
Kitchener Council “directed staff to use a new study that recommends how to enable the development of more affordable and missing middle housing when updating official plan and zoning within Major Transit Station Areas and City-wide.” Study recommendations include:
reducing parking requirements;
allowing more diverse housing types in existing low-rise neighbourhoods;
exploring financial incentives;
and making process improvements.
There is A LOT of information available on this topic. You can read the staff report here. Click here to read the (203 page!) report. But Melissa, most of us have much better things to do than read a 203 page report - well, you’re in luck! You can read my (much shorter!) thread on some of its key points.
Council also recently approved a housing pledge that will support the building of 35,000 additional homes in Kitchener by 2031. As outlined in the city’s press release, that pledge includes:
Advancing work to update land use and zoning within Major Transit Station Areas
Continuing to implement Kitchener’s Housing for All strategy
Working with post-secondary institutions to respond to evolving workforce needs
Collaborating with Provincial and Federal governments to develop strategies to increase housing supply capacity including the identification of funding required for infrastructure
An update on Inclusionary Zoning was also recently presented to council. “Inclusionary zoning allows cities to require private developers to include a certain percentage of affordable units within new, multi-unit housing developments.” The Inclusionary Zoning report is full of interesting information and I hope to have a post about that report shortly. You may recall that I have mixed feelings about inclusionary zoning. You can read why, here.
Waterloo Council has approved its first affordable housing strategy “which outlines a blueprint of actions that the city will take to improve housing choices for Waterloo residents and those moving to the community.” Recommended actions include:
create more opportunities to enable the construction of missing middle housing;
make it easier to build second units by eliminating parking requirements for second units near ION stops; and
enhance Waterloo’s Rental Housing Support webpage to provide more supports for landlords and tenants.
The WR Record says that, “Waterloo will have to accelerate its housing growth by almost one-third to meet the 2033 target, after lower growth between 2012 and 2022.” Brooklin Wallis, on behalf of Waterloo Region Yes In My Backyard delegated to council on this issue. “We enthusiastically support the strategy, and we encourage the city to go further still. The city needs more residential housing, and more types of housing.” She called on council to allow four-storey buildings throughout the city, rather limiting them to sites near busier streets.
Regional Council has approved staff recommendations that support the financial viability of community housing providers after their mortgages are paid. The Region is responsible for the funding and administration of community housing, including 27 co-op and non-profits, that provide more than 3,200 units of affordable housing. “As providers pay off their mortgages over the next decade, the agreements associated with these units come to an end. Regional staff responded with a community housing succession strategy that aims to protect and stabilize the sector.”
Also, if you haven’t heard, folks are organizing locally for tenant rights. The first meeting is May 25th (online) at 6:30pm. There are some amazing folks that are a part of this and it sounds like a great place to ask questions, discuss tenant issues, and identify next steps.
As always, thanks so much for reading! While I (inexplicably) enjoy sifting through city council agendas and reports, this newsletter does take a lot of work. If you are interested in supporting my work, you can do so by: subscribing (free and paid options), sharing the newsletter with others, and liking or commenting on posts.