News roundup: June 2, 2025

Here’s the latest in walking, biking, and transit news for Waterloo Region for the last two weeks. Subscribe to get updates delivered directly to your inbox! You can also follow us on Bluesky and Instagram.

What’s happening

• DISCUSS: Strong Towns WR local conversation - tonight, June 2, 7 to 8:30pm, at 165 King St W in Kitchener
• COUNT: Vélo Canada Bikes is recruiting volunteers for pedal poll counts this week in cities across Canada, including Waterloo Region
• ATTEND: The City of Kitchener is hosting Bike Day in DTK on Saturday, June 7 from 1 to 5pm. The event will be on Water Street and will feature bike scavenger hunts, lessons, themed rides, and more. We’ll be there too!
• SHARE: Provide feedback for the Victoria Park Master Plan
• FUN: City of Waterloo is hosting a family fun day at its Service Centre Open House on June 7 at 265 Lexington Crt
• FEEDBACK: City of Kitchener is hosting feedback fairs across city neighbourhoods this week, Monday afternoon at Victoria Hills, Tuesday at Huron, Wednesday at Stanley Park, and Thursday at City Hall
• RIDE: Kitchener hosting a Pride Ride at 7pm on Wednesday, June 11 starting at Kitchener Market:
• PLAN: The City of Kitchener is engaging the public about what the Dundee Secondary Plan should look like to shape a new community on greenfield in the southwest of the city
• SURVEY: The City of Cambridge is looking for input and survey participation for its Preston Secondary Plan to guide growth along the future ION corridor

Walking, biking, and streets

• “Waterloo Region’s townships want more control over speed cameras” (The Record)
• Main Street in Cambridge will be closed for cars and open as a lively pedestrian space until October (The Record)
• Last week was Bike to School Week (CBC News)
• “Four-way stop, pedestrian crossings coming to Wellesley, St. Jacobs” (The Record)
• City of Waterloo to amend agreement with Region of Waterloo to install a bike cage in the uptown parkade (City of Waterloo packet, page 9)
• “Waterloo still aims to silence loud cars but abandons a 90-decibel limit” (The Record)
• “Parking fine increase recommended to Kitchener committee” (CityNews)
• “Police investigate cyclist collision in downtown Kitchener: Kitchener man sustained serious injuries” (The Record)

Transit

• “Grand River Transit introducing new fareboxes on its buses” (CTV News)
• GRT summer service schedules start on June 23, will start year-round 10 minute daytime frequency on the 201 (GRT)
• “Lack of parking forcing some Kitchener GO riders back onto the highway” (CityNews)
• “Liberals request auditor general investigation into collapsed Metrolinx deal” (Global News)
• “Want an alternative to a 401 tunnel? How about incredibly reliable GO bus service” (Spacing)
• Unifor members authorize strike against VIA Rail Canada (Unifor, Trains Magazine)
• City of Kitchener council gave the go ahead to partial demolition of the Rumpel Felt factory, part of the Kitchener Central Transit Station project (Kitchener council agenda)
• “Overnight train horns silenced at Kitchener rail crossing” (CBC)
• “Grand River Transit unveils new Pride bus design” (Cambridge Today)

The shape of our cities

• One Million Neighbours publishes its vision for Waterloo Region’s growth (One Million Neighbours)
• “Plea for more downtown green space as Kitchener parks plan passes: Concrete patios are not a substitute for real parks, a citizens’ group said” (The Record)
• Development proposal to replace 37 apartments with 224 new ones on Erb Street West has neighbours taking concerns to Waterloo City Council (The Record)
• “How much does it cost to build a house in Waterloo Region? The cost of land in 2025 is almost the same price as an entire home in 2015” (The Record)
• City of Waterloo pushing back on province’s Bill 17, to protect the local High-Performance Development Standards project (Waterloo city council)
• A committee of City of Kitchener council is considering a short-term rental by-law in its meeting today (City of Kitchener agenda)
• City of Kitchener has a short update on how the rental replacement by-law is working a year in (City of Kitchener agenda)
• “Planning changes allowing more development in Kitchener’s Hidden Valley approved” (The Record)
• City of Kitchener shares concepts for greenfield plan - Dundee Secondary Plan (City of Kitchener)
• “Cambridge approves 30-year Parks Master Plan, boosts accessibility” (The Record)
• Chief planner at City of Cambridge among three abruptly departed senior leaders (The Record)
• “Flair Airlines to close crew base, trim flights out of Waterloo Region airport” (The Record)
• “Rally in downtown Kitchener to protest controversial provincial bills” (CTV News)

Elsewhere

• Metrolinx has shared its latest conceptual design for the Hamilton LRT (Metrolinx)
• “Next on London city council’s cost-cutting agenda: Axing new bike lanes” (London Free Press)

• “Opinion

  Doug Ford’s Highway 401 tunnel is technically doable. So what’s the down side?” (Toronto Star)