Mayor Matt Brown and senior city bureaucrats are colliding with a key sector of London’s business community over rapid transit.

Several local tech-sector leaders spoke out Tuesday in support of building a transit system including light rail — in stark contrast to a recent Chamber of Commerce survey that found little business support for it.

The pro-rail stance of the tech entrepreneurs, some of whom backed Brown’s mayoral campaign, was made public just before council voted to hold one more citizen-input session before making a final decision.

“We’re in a battle to attract and retain talent to the city,” said David Billson, president of Ellipsis Digital that recently moved into the former Roundhouse on Horton Street. “We know millennials and creative thinkers often look to transit as one of the considerations for moving to a city. If we can put forward a strong vision for where we’re going to be, it’ll act as a good retention tool.”

The open letter, signed by Billson and leaders of five other London tech firms, urges council to think twice about leaving light rail out of their transit plans.

Tech leaders may see a positive outcome if a light rail system is built, but the executive director of the London Chamber of Commerce said more than 140 members who responded to a rapid transit survey are worried about the cost and disruption caused by its construction.

In November, council voted unanimously to make a rail-bus rapid transit system, costing an estimated $880 million, their preferred early option.

City staff have returned with a report recommending London build a bus-only system, costing $500 million.

Some politicians note few major facts have changed in the past six months, leading them to question the change in direction.

Mayor Matt Brown is leading the push to go for the less-­expensive option, disputing several experts’ claim of the city-­building benefits of rail are superior to buses.

Council is expected to make its decision by month’s end, which will allow city staff to start seeking funding from the federal and provincial governments. In either option, bus-rail or bus only, London’s stake is capped at $125 million.

Tuesday, city council voted unanimously to hold one more public meeting before holding a final vote. Two weeks ago, a deadlocked council rejected the idea.

Among those who flipped their votes was the mayor, who said he realizes many of his council colleagues “would benefit” from a little more citizen feedback.

There’s little doubt bus-only rapid transit would meet the city’s transportation needs. But the other benefits of rail, such as sparking the kind of compact growth outlined in the city’s blueprint for growth, the London Plan, are what rail advocates can’t leave behind.

As the city’s own report notes: “LRT (light rail) is more effective at stimulating residential development investment that supports revitalized urban neighbourhoods.”

For Billson, light rail could be a once-in-a-generation chance to transform the city’s growth.

“When we look back in 20 years, will we . . . say we missed an opportunity, but we can’t correct it now because our federal and provincial partners aren’t funding infrastructure?”

Other tech businesses that signed Billson’s letter are Digital Echidna, voices.com, start.ca, Race Roster and Big Viking Games.

An estimated 1,000 jobs in the London tech sector need to be filled this year.

pmaloney@postmedia.com

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