Kitchener—Waterloo MP and Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Communities, Peter Braid, along with provincial and regional officials, break ground on the ION Stage 1 Light Rail Transit project.
August 21, 2014 – Waterloo, ON – Transport Canada
The Region of Waterloo celebrated a historic moment today as officials took part in a groundbreaking ceremony for the start of ION Stage 1 Light Rail Transit (LRT) construction. The event took place at the future home of ION’s Operations, Maintenance and Storage Facility on Dutton Drive in Waterloo.
On hand for the ceremony was Peter Braid, Member of Parliament for Kitchener–Waterloo and Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Communities, on behalf of the Honourable Denis Lebel, Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs; the Honourable Steven Del Duca, Ontario Minister of Transportation; Ken Seiling, Regional Chair; members of Regional Council; and officials from GrandLinq.
ION will provide a frequent, reliable and convenient way for residents to travel throughout the region. With 200,000 new residents expected to move to Waterloo Region in the next 20 years, ION will help shape the community by encouraging development in existing urban areas, limiting urban sprawl and protecting the area’s farmland.
ION will be implemented in two stages. Stage 1 is a 36-kilometre corridor that includes 19 kilometres of LRT from the Conestoga Mall transit terminal in Waterloo to the Fairview Park Mall transit terminal in Kitchener as well as 17 kilometres of adapted Bus Rapid Transit (aBRT) from the Ainslie Street transit terminal in Cambridge to the Fairview Park Mall transit terminal in Kitchener. Waterloo Region Council has committed to Stage 2, which will see the aBRT route converted to LRT, creating a 37-kilometre route of LRT across the region’s three urban centres.
“Our government is proud to invest in this transit project as we focus on creating jobs, promoting growth and building strong, prosperous communities across Canada. Investments in public transit will keep residents and visitors moving, contribute to productivity, and reduce the amount of greenhouse gas emissions across the region.”
Peter Braid,
Member of Parliament for Kitchener–Waterloo and Parliamentary Secretary for Infrastructure and Communities
“Ontario’s commitment is the single largest transit infrastructure investment in the Region of Waterloo’s history and demonstrates our dedication to public transit in one of the largest and fastest-growing urban areas in the province.”
Steven Del Duca
Ontario Minister of Transportation.
“For more than 10 years, the people of Waterloo Region have been engaged in planning for a rapid transit system that will help curb urban sprawl and move people in a region that is seeing rapid growth,” said Chair Seiling. “Today marks the formal start of the construction that will make the system a reality and ensure a healthy and vibrant community.”
Ken Seiling,
Regional Chair, Region of Waterloo
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