Week in review: October 29, 2016

Posted Oct 29, 2016

By Mike Boos

2 min read

ION light rail

An update and new round of public consultations for ION stage 2 into Cambridge have been delayed until the new year. Meanwhile, GRT and ION drop the confusing municipal jargon to tell us what we’ve known all along about transit fares when ION opens:

https://twitter.com/GRT_ROW/status/791296327376375809

Regional committees November 1

Administration and Finance

Development charges: An update report will be given for adding charges to new developments to help pay for light rail and conventional transit. This could lead to significant savings for an already tight budget year, but there is some resistance from municipal governments. Final recommendations are expected to come forward November 22.

Planning & Works

Breslau GO station: Breslau has been selected as one of the locations for a new “Regional Express Rail” GO station, so the Region and Woolwich have been asked to give their approval for the new station. Unfortunately, the identified site for the stop is at Greenhouse Road, disconnected from presently built-up parts of Breslau. It will be difficult for Breslau residents to access the station by foot or bike, and as the report notes, it will be challenging to serve with decent transit until additional roads are built. Planned densities for an unbuilt suburb near the station may not come near provincial guidelines for transit supportive development.

Consultations for upcoming road and transportation projects:

Church Street East in Elmira, November 10: new sidewalks and bike/buggy lanes
Ottawa Street South, November 22: new multi-use trails
Weber Street North, November 8: potential for bike lanes or paths. The staff preferred design would reduce the bridge over the ION tracks from 4 to 3 car lanes, with 1.8 m bike lanes on either side.
William and Strange Street water supplies, November 22: this project could see construction of a new water main along the Iron Horse Trail.
University Transit Plaza, November 16: a new transit plaza will be built between the ION station at Ring Road and Philip Street. Shockingly, GRT conceptual maps are still not showing the 202 iXpress connection with ION at this station.

Apparently some road engineers think people who bike look like football players..