News roundup: September 15, 2025

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

What’s happening

• ION: Public engagement on Stage 2 to Cambridge alternatives continues. Pop-up sessions happening throughout the rest of the month. Fill out a feedback survey at EngageWR. Longer public information sessions:
  • Tuesday, Sept. 16 - Sportsworld Arena - 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
  • Tuesday, Sept. 23 - Old Post Office - 4:30 p.m. - 7 p.m.
• PATHS: The City of Kitchener is planning to improve trail connections from the Iron Horse Trail through Rockway and Fairway (EngageWR, City of Kitchener release). Sessions:
  • Tuesday Sept. 23 - Kingsdale Community Centre - 6 to 8 p.m.
  • Thursday Sept. 25 - Rockway Centre - 6 to 8 p.m.
  • Monday Sept. 29 - Virtual - 6 to 8 p.m - register at EngageWR.
• AIRPORT: The Region is looking for feedback to inform its updated airport growth plan at EngageWR (Region’s news release).
• WILMOT PLAN: Wilmot Township is holding a visioning session to help prepare its new Official Plan, with several sessions next Tuesday, September, 23 at New Dundee Community Centre. Register at EngageWR.
• UPZONING: The City of Waterloo is proposing to enable missing middle and midrise development in the Sugarbush South neighbourhood, north of Columbia Street West. Register for public engagement sessions on October 1 and October 7 at EngageWR.
• WEEKEND TRAINS: The GPO is running a letter writing campaign to push for weekend GO train service for Kitchener.
• DOORS OPEN: Explore local sites with Doors Open Waterloo Region on Saturday, September 20.

And… we’re thinking about our approach to these news roundups - please let us know any thoughts you have with this short feedback form.

Walking, biking, and streets

• Speed Cameras
  • Regional staff presented a mid-year update on the automated speed enforcement program (Agenda and recording). ~56K tickets were issued out of 2 million instances of speeding recorded, with fines escalating with excess speed. In 6 months, there has been a 15 km/h reduction in 85th percentile speeds, and repeat tickets are low. 11 more school zone cameras will be activated this Fall. The cameras have also captured many instances of stunt driving in school zones, which was worrying even to the councillors expressing reservations about speed cameras. (Coverage at Global News, CityNews, CambridgeToday)
  • A local data analyst argues against speed cameras, claiming there’s not enough pedestrian collisions to warrant them (The Record)
  • The Record: Opinion | Banning right turns on red lights makes more sense than speed cameras
  • The Record: Regional council asks province to standardize speed camera program
  • After another spate of speed camera vandalism in Toronto, Premier Doug Ford called the provincially-regulated program a ‘cash grab’ and threatened to eliminate them (The Record, CP24). Defence of the program has come from local leaders (The Record, The Record), the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (CBC), and experts (CTV).
  • New research finds that 1 in 5 drivers near school zones is distracted. Most were using their phones; some were fiddling with their cars’ infotainment systems. Drivers of big SUVs and pickups were more prone to be distracted. (Science Direct via David Zipper)
• Ontario proposes safety rules after driver kills toddler and injures six more in crash into Richmond Hill daycare (CBC, CityNews)
• CTV News: ‘Avoid the road or slow down’: Residents split on new speed humps at busy Kitchener roundabout
• The Record: Region looks to address safety concerns with taxis, rideshares
• CambridgeToday: Cambridge man frustrated by enclosed mobility devices on city sidewalks
• Region to expropriate small parcels of property for Lancaster St W reconstruction from Victoria to Bridgeport in Kitchener, which would add boulevard cycle tracks (Regional agenda)
• City of Waterloo to redesign Lexington Road from Davenport to University. The preferred plan will narrow the roadway, improve crossings, and add a multi-use path on the north side of the road (City of Waterloo agenda and recording)
• Wilmot Township to update its sidewalk reconstruction policy to accelerate sidewalk infill and widen more sidewalks from 1.2m to 1.5m to comply with AODA requirements. (Wilmot agenda)
• Fischer-Hallman / Bearinger Road between Columbia Street and Westmount Road is back open, widened to four lanes and multi-use paths on both sides (Region of Waterloo Instagram)
• Cambridge Today: Council hears plans for major Hwy. 401 expansion in Milton. Widening, HOV lanes, bridge replacement and interchange upgrades set for the busy corridor east of Cambridge

Transit

• ION stage 2
  • Regional staff shared preliminary analysis of the Initial Business Case for stage 2 ION expansion to Cambridge (Committee agenda and recording, Region of Waterloo News)
  • We discussed approaches to costs in the IONizeWR newsletter and spoke at committee in support of building the full length light rail extension to downtown Cambridge.
  • CTV News: Light rail the best option for Cambridge rapid transit, regional report finds
  • Cambridge Today: Full light-rail transit comes out on top in benefit comparison. The debate over how best to bring rapid transit to Cambridge is heating up as officials present findings that compare the costs, benefits, and impacts of two competing systems: bus rapid transit (BRT) and light-rail (LRT)
  • CityNews: ‘Are the townships paying?’: Region debates benefits, cost of Cambridge rapid transit
  • The Record: Opinion | Waterloo Region needs nation-building mentality
  • Downtown Cambridge BIA Chair supports LRT in letter to CambridgeToday
  • Cambridge Today: LETTER: Light rail is the best investment for Cambridge, says regional councillor
• The Record, CTV News: GRT fare revenue expected to be $7.6M lower in 2025: Ridership in Q2 was down 16.9 per cent over the same period in 2024.
  • Mobile ticket app GRT Pay usage has grown steadily, with more than 140,000 fare products sold since launch
  • Route 302 ION Bus service will increase to match weekday ION LRT schedules and Route 50 will provide new coverage to the Myers Rd and Branchton Rd area
• A new PRESTO customer service outlet is coming to the Shoppers Drug Mart at 75 King St. S, Waterloo (Aislinn Clancy via Instagram)
• GRT Fall Service Changes in effect as of September 1. (GRT)
• A post on the r/waterloo subreddit calls for weekend and later weekday GO train service to Kitchener.
• CityNews, The Record: Region of Waterloo Airport reveals growth plan for next 20 years
• Railway News: Alto Provides Update on Canada’s High-Speed Rail Project
• Transport Action Canada: Government puts Alto HSR on the fast track

The shape of our cities

• Global News: Strong mayor powers having ‘little to no impact’ on housing, municipal civil servants say
• NOW Toronto: Number of Canadian commuters rises for 4th straight year, and is expected to worsen amid return-to-office mandates: report
• CityNews: Build Canada Homes aims to build 4,000 housing units on federal land: Carney
• Region of Waterloo
  • The Record: Waterloo Region is growing ‘extraordinarily fast’ and showing the strain as well-being frays
  • CTV: Waterloo Region needs to create more shared spaces ahead of population boom, new report says
  • The Record: Opinion | New report holds a warning about rapid growth in Waterloo Region
  • The Record: Kitchener, Waterloo get $16.7M from province under new measure of housing progress
  • CBC News: Waterloo, Cambridge say potential changes to provincial housing fund don’t go far enough
• City of Waterloo
  • CityNews: Waterloo council approves 3 new developments, including a hotel at UW
  • The Record: Mattamy Homes appeals for Waterloo subdivision provisions at OLT
  • A 30 storey tower with 231 units in a mix of sizes, commercial space, and 37 parking spaces will replace 2 houses at Albert & Seagram. This project’s high density and low parking rates reflects a provincial and city focus on low-car growth in major transit station areas. (Council packet p 132, recording, The Record 1, The Record 2)
  • As a Housing Accelerator Fund action, the city is drawing up plans to upzone the Sugarbush South neighbourhood for mid-rise buildings. Current plans would resemble some of the zoning in nearby Northdale, but would still require 1.1 parking spaces per unit despite the central location. (Council packet p. 9, EngageWR)
  • The city will launch a Multi-Unit Residential Acquisition pilot program, with $2.5 million from the Housing Accelerator Fund to protect long-term affordable rental housing (Council summary).
  • There will be an informal public meeting for a 39-storey tower at Albert & Erb in uptown, with 412 units of varying sizes and 216 structured parking spaces (EngageWR).
• City of Kitchener
  • The Record: Kitchener facing $50M revenue shortfall with development charge changes due to Bill 17: report
  • CityNews: Supportive housing key in decision to demolish buildings near St. Andrew’s Church
• City of Cambridge
  • CambridgeToday: Neighbourhood appeal for scaled back Preston Springs proposal takes to the streets
  • The Record: Dundas Street plan sparks new chapter in Cambridge’s fight against highrise towers
  • Cambridge Today: Neighbours uneasy over scale of proposed Dundas Street apartment. A developer’s plan to build a multi-storey rental building in southeast Galt has sparked opposition from locals who say it threatens both road safety and the area’s low-density character
  • CBC News: Majority of approved housing projects in Cambridge are not being built
  • CambridgeToday: Councillor wants city to put pressure on province for broader rent controls
  • The Record: Cambridge councillor pulls rent control motion for further consideration
• Townships
  • Woolwich Township held a formal public meeting for a new subdivision in Breslau at Highway 7 & Greenhouse Road for 193 single detached homes, 388 townhouses, and 100 apartments facing Highway 7 (Council packet p. 6).
  • North Dumfries Township council was introduced to Land Use Planning Together, a collaborative framework for local municipalities working together with Six Nations (Council packet, p. 117).

Elsewhere

• CityNews: TTC to consider fare capping and eliminating current $156 monthly pass
  • See the TTCriders campaign to support fare capping
• Global News: TTC takes control of running Finch West LRT as line moves toward opening
• CBC News: Toronto’s Eglinton Crosstown light-rail project delayed yet again
• Next Metro: Frequent All-Day Service Serves Commuters Better: The North American Commuter Ideology is Nonsensical
• School of Cities creates an interactive map showing how more than 80% of street space in Toronto is inequitably dedicated to motor vehicles and explores how it can be fairly re-designed.
• Ontario starts construction of Highway 413, with no public timeline or budget (Ontario Newsroom, CBC News, The Record)
• Streetsblog/Lloyd Alter: In Trade Deal With Trump, Europe Sells Out its Pedestrians. The new trade deal between the European Union and the U.S. means that pedestrians from Lisbon to Helsinki will be endangered by big, American-made trucks.
• Oh the Urbanity (YouTube): The Cycling Potential Hiding in Plain Sight
• RMTransit (YouTube) with an update on the Ontario Line construction