This is a petition to the Region of Waterloo, the City of Kitchener, and GrandLink asking them to install a pedestrian crossing across the LRT to make the businesses along Fairway road accessible to residents.

While LRT will improve transit and walkability in our region, a fence built along the 1km Hydro corridor stretch between Wilson and Courtland is cutting off residents from their sources of shopping, food, and work.

Residents of the Traynor-Vanier neighbourhood rely on daily access to Food Basics as most are newcomers to Canada, seniors, single parents, or international students, and do not have vehicles. The current LRT plan cuts off the pathway for residents to Food Basics and all other sources of food and work in the area and has forced residents to take a taxi or two buses to access basic needs.

The Region of Waterloo and the City of Kitchener both value walkable neighbourhoods in their Official Plans:

(http://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/en/aboutTheEnvironment/resources/ROP/6_-_chapter_3_consolidated_rop_2015---access.pdf (https://www.kitchener.ca/en/insidecityhall/resources/PLAN_City_of_Kitchener_New_Official_Plan.pdf

The KW Tenant Group, Social Development Centre, as well as other partners believe in these values of walkable neighbourhoods, but by building this fence, a neighbourhood has had its walkability removed.

Other places where the LRT goes through residential areas or public parkland, there are pedestrian crossings at least every 500m. We are asking for one pedestrian crossing in this 1km stretch to reconnect the neighbourhood.