Transit is still with us

There are many activities going on throughout the summer. We had the Lippert Park party and last weekend the art gallery had a "block party" and there were motorcycles and loud rock music in downtown Kitchener. The Waterloo folks had some jazz a couple of weeks back.

And in early August we have the Kitchener Blues Festival!

Anyway, we might forget the 800 million + dollars going into transit over the next few years. We will certainly remember it when the roads are torn up and railway tracks are being built. And we may continue to remember it when we can no longer park on our favorite streets. And hopefully we will remember transit when we can say "hey, transit is now convenient and we can get rid of our second car!".

So just so we don't forget about it, the MHBPNA blog is re-posting information from the city of Kitchener about their storefront information office which is next to city hall. And there are several meetings in September.

The Central Transit Corridor Community Building Strategy will provide a framework for how our community will be built around rapid transit. Over the past several months, a great deal of effort has gone into understanding the context of the corridor and the direction it will take as it develops through dozens of stakeholder interviews, workshops, open houses, speaker events, and regular storefront hours. Through discussing and exploring new opportunities for mobility, place-making and strengthening the community, we have a solid foundation for drafting the vision and strategies for the corridor which will include enhancing mobility, encouraging healthy communities, fostering a green corridor, creating great places, strengthening the economy, and enhancing learning.   We would like to thank you for participating and taking the time to come and provide feedback for this important project. Your input will be used to shape the neighbourhoods and communities around rapid transit.

If you didn't get a chance to participate, it's certainly not too late! Here are some other ways to provide your input:    Summer Events: It's summer! But that doesn't mean the Community Building Strategy is on vacation. We want to meet you where you're at, so we've arranged to be at some of Waterloo Region's favourite summer events and festivals. Check out the summer events flyer and be sure to come by and say hello! Storefront: Our storefront, located at 220 King St. W. in Kitchener, will continue to be open during the summer months. Please drop in, chat with staff and provide your comments. We're open Tuesday 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday noon to 5 p.m. and Friday noon to 4 p.m.   Fall Public Meetings and Events: Plans are being made for a series of open houses this September for you to see the draft Community Building Strategy and provide your input. Sept. 17, 4-7 p.m. at Cambridge Centre for the Arts Sept. 18, 4-7 p.m. at Knox Presbyterian in Waterloo Sept. 20, 4-7 p.m. at the Storefront, 220 King St. W. in Kitchener Mark your calendar for guest speaker Karina Ricks, a planner with Nelson Nygaard whose work has helped demonstrate that the decisions we make today in Waterloo Region will shape and drive our communities, economy, and environment for the next century or more. She will speak at 7p.m. on September 18 at the Knox Church directly following the open house.