Ontario council approves light rail project

The Waterloo Regional Council of Ontario discussed and approved a light rail transit plan to be built between Conestoga Mall in the city of Waterloo to the Ainslie Street Terminal in the city of Cambridge. The regional council approved implementation of option L3 as Stage 1 of the LRT system, which includes LRT from Conestoga Mall to Fairview Park Mall. Funding for the region's portion of Stage 1 capital, operating and maintenance costs will come from a tax rate increase of 1.2 percent annually and allocated budget reductions. Cambridge will be given a one-time capital investment of $1 million annually, for a 10-year period, to implement transit-supportive strategies. LRT is an important part of the region's plan to accommodate significant population and employment growth over the next 20 years. In the Regional Growth Management Strategy, as well as in the Places to Grow Growth Plan, LRT was identified as one of the key catalysts to support downtown revitalization and control urban sprawl in the region. "Tonight's decision is one more critical element in the Region's integrated approach to planning for a vibrant, prosperous and sustainable community. We look forward to working with the area municipalities, and all our community partners, as we proceed with the implementation of this transformational project," said Mike Murray, chief administrative officer. The LRT system will be built in two stages: Stage 1 will include LRT from Conestoga Mall to Fairview Park Mall and adapted bus rapid transit (aBRT) from Fairview Park Mall to the Ainslie Street Terminal. Stage 2 of the LRT system will add LRT from Fairview Park Mall to the Ainslie Street Terminal.