News roundup: October 6, 2024

Here’s our roundup of local news about walking, biking, and transit over the last couple of weeks. You can now also follow us on Bluesky and Instagram, as well as subscribe to get updates delivered directly to your inbox!

What’s happening

• ATTEND: Environmental Defence is holding a Canada Transit Funding Week and TriTAG will be participating with an event at Waterloo Public Square on Saturday, October 19 from 1 to 3pm. If you want to help, let us know!
• APPLY: The City of Waterloo is recruiting for its advisory committees, including the active transportation one. Applications close on October 21.
• APPLY: The City of Kitchener is still recruiting for its advisory committees, applications have been extended to October 9.
• COMMENT: Kitchener is looking for feedback on a new wayfinding strategy with signed cross-town routes on higher-quality bike infrastructure. Get your comments in by October 25 or at a workshop on wheels on October 22.

Walking, biking, and Vision Zero

• Region of Waterloo will be considering final approval for a roundabout at Franklin Boulevard & Saginaw Parkway in Cambridge, including a pedestrian tunnel. (Cambridge Today)
• Regional Council directed staff to support work towards a bridge for the Kissing Bridge Trailway over the Conestogo River. (Region of Waterloo)
• This week Regional committees will be again considering deferred reports for program details to support expanded municipal camera-based speed enforcement.
• Jan Liggett, the mayor of Cambridge, is in settlement talks after filing a lawsuit against a driver who hit and injured her while she was crossing a street in downtown Galt. (The Record)
• In Guelph, a driver killed cyclist Susan Ward in a hit-and-run. Later the same month, the same man crashed his car while driving impaired. Police are treating this as separate instances, but it is hard to see how that is appropriate. (Guelph Today)
• Residents in Woolwich Township calling for scrutiny of rural intersection (Hessen Strasse & Greenwood Hill Road) where three people were killed in a crash between a pickup truck and a car. (The Observer)

Transit

• Grand River Transit reports preliminary findings on its electric bus pilot, which requires extra operational considerations. GRT will be using Route 7 and the Late Night Loop as the dedicated focus for the fully electric fleet – these are shorter routes, while the electric bus range makes longer routes a poor fit. GRT staff are recommending continuing to consider hybrid and conventional buses in its upcoming procurement plans.
• GO Transit doesn’t usually have weekend train service to Kitchener, but will be running a special Oktoberfest train from Toronto to Kitchener and back on Saturday, October 12. (K-W Oktoberfest)
• MP Mike Morrice has a petition to the House of Commons calling for more transparency on Metrolinx’s federally-supported work towards two-way all-day GO Transit service to Waterloo Region. (CityNews)

Elsewhere

• In the US, the NHTSA is proposing new regulations on motor vehicle design specifically focused on reducing the risk of injury to pedestrians. (Fast Company)
• A legal dispute between the private consortium building the Finch West LRT and Metrolinx highlights the serious challenges of these kinds of P3’s for transit project delivery. (Global News)
• The Ford government will explore building the longest tunnel in the world under one of the widest highways in the world, with the implications that a few more lanes will fix it. (CBC)
• Oh the Urbanity - Doug Ford’s Terrible Plan for Cycling in Toronto (YouTube)