The UpTown Waterloo BIA says its members support continuing uptown road construction projects on their current schedule – but not by a wide margin, and not with the current level of support for businesses.
The last few construction seasons have been busy ones in the last few years. More work is planned for 2018.
A group of businesses had been pushing for municipal officials to alter the construction schedule so all roads in the core would remain open through 2018.
The BIA says it polled its members on the issue, with 27 per cent of businesses responding.
Of those, a slight majority – 54 per cent – said they would prefer for construction planned for 2018 to take place in that year.
The BIA says it supports that vote, provided the Region of Waterloo shows “an increase in both transparency and leadership” by adhering to six conditions.
Those conditions are as follows:
- The BIA getting “a seat at the table at key meetings” to ensure construction projects prioritize the needs of businesses
- The BIA being able to review, via a qualified civil engineer, specifications for the next three uptown roadwork projects before they are sent out to tender
- Biweekly meetings between the BIA and the construction team during construction
- High priority being given to weekend and evening construction work, to lessen the time of any road closures
- Erb Street being altered to accommodate two-way traffic while Bridgeport Road is closed
- A dedicated Region of Waterloo communications staff member working “on the ground” with uptown businesses
