December 31, 2003

Mr. M. Bricks
Ecoplans Limited
2655 North Sheridan Way
Mississauga, Ontario L5K 2P8

Dear Mr. Bricks:

Class Environmental Assessment (EA)
Improvements to Highway 405, Stanley Ave. Bridge and
Queenston Lewiston Bridge and Plaza Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake

This letter is to express our support for the comments and recommendations made bythe Regional Municipality of Niagara Planning and Development Department on December 11, 2003, and to urge you to preserve access for pedestrians and bicycles to the Queenston Lewiston Bridge.

During the past fifteen years, the Waterfront Regeneration Trust and its predecessor organization (the Royal Commission on the Future of the Toronto Waterfront) have worked extensively with all levels of government, businesses, the service clubs and the community to develop a strategy to regenerate the Lake Ontario Waterfront. The strategy’s goal is to create a healthy and sustainable waterfront that is clean, green, accessible, connected, open, useable, diverse, affordable and attractive.

Essential to this strategy is the creation of the 740 kms Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail, which connects over 35 communities from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Brockville. The Waterfront Trail contributes to a network of existing and emerging greenways and inter-regional trails including the Bruce Trail, the Greater Niagara Circle Route, a number of river valley trails, greenways in Hamilton and Niagara regions, Eastern Ontario trails, the Loyalist Parkway and the Seaway Trail on the American shores of Lake Ontario. It is also part of Canada’s national trail system, the Trans Canada Trail.
Since its launch in 1995, the Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail has made a significant contribution toward changing how people view and use the waterfront. Today, the waterfront is a very popular recreational amenity for local residents, and increasingly has demonstrated a potential to serve provincial and local economies.

A recent study commissioned by the Region of Niagara indicates that cycling tourists represented 15% of all tourism visitors to the Region in 2000. In 2002, spending by cycling tourists represented 11.7% of all tourists’ expenditures in the Region. This trend is expected to grow steadily. Geographically, the United States was the leading origin of the cycling tourist.

In addition to this study, the following information taken from various studies and surveys demonstrate the growing interest in cycling and in cycling vacations:

• 85% of cyclists reported that they would consider spending part or all of their vacation exploring the Waterfront Trail (2002 WRT User Survey)
• 88% of cyclists cited physical fitness or appreciating nature/waterfront as their most important reason for using the Waterfront Trail (2002 WRT User Survey)
• Active participation in outdoors and sports activities was the most popular past time of Ontario’s overnight outdoor visitors with a 76.2% participation rate (Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Recreation)
• Tourism is growing overall at a rate of 4%. Nature (eco/agri) tourism is increasing at a rate of 10% and 30% per annum. (World Resource Institute)
• In March 2003 Velo Quebec released results of a study measuring the economic impact of the Route verte, a vast cycling network which will eventually comprise 4,300 kilometres (2671 miles) of trails throughout the province of Quebec.
  In 2000, the annual amount spent by cyclists travelling on the Route verte, in Quebec totalled $95.4 million CAD ($64.6 million USD). This represents 2,000 jobs (person years) and revenues of $15.1 million for the Government of Québec ($10.2 million USD) and $11.9 million ($8.1 million USD) for the Government of Canada. These figures dramatically exceed 1997 forecasts, which estimated annually spending would total $41 million as of 2005. (Source: Retombées économiques de la Route verte – March 2003 )

These studies confirm the tremendous potential for trails to contribute to our tourism economy.

The Lake Ontario Waterfront Trail is a valuable provincial and national resource that serves over 6 million residents in the GTA—59% of Ontario’s population and 22% of the national population. Five border crossings connect it to the Seaway Trail in the United States, a 454 mile scenic route that is celebrating its 25th Anniversary this year.

In March 2003, Canada-Ontario Infrastructure Program announced it would contribute $9.2 million toward 53 projects that would expand and enhance the Waterfront Trail. Local municipalities, regions, conservation authorities, businesses, service clubs and community groups are adding $22 million to this investment.
The Queenston Lewiston Bridge is an important link in the Trail system that would be lost if the proposed Bridge/plaza design is accepted. It is a significant international gateway—one that should be available to all travelers, including those who opt not to use a motorized vehicle for their trip. We urge you to consider an alternative such as the one proposed by the Niagara Planning Department that maintains access to the bridge for pedestrian and cycling traffic. By doing so, the bridge will become part of the growing investment that all levels of government and communities have been making into the regeneration of Lake Ontario during the past 15 years.

Thank you for the opportunity to comment on the project and please keep us informed of developments.

Sincerely,

Marlaine Koehler
Program Director, Waterfront Regeneration Trust

Copy: Mr. George Nicholson, MCIP, RPP
Ms. A White, Ministry of Tourism and Recreation
Councillor Robert Gabriel, Acting Chair, Regional Niagara Bicycling Committee
Mr. D. Arnott, President, Niagara Freewheelers Bicycling Touring Club