LRT Cambridge proposed route announced

Proposed route plans for the second stage of the Ion LRT in Waterloo Region as the project moves to its next phase into Cambridge were announced Friday.

The project's focus is an approximate 17 kilometre light rail line that will create a "seamless" link with the Kitchener-WaterlooLRT, scheduled to begin testing this winter and expected to start service in late 2018, Ion said.

• There's still wiggle room in the Region of Waterloo's LRT plans for Cambridge
• Region residents weigh in on proposed Ion LRT Stage 2 routes

Cambridge is currently served by bus service along a similar route through the community, the BRT, which began operations in 2015.Stage two will eventually replace BRT with the LRT.

Preferred route

The region originally put forward a variety of route options for the second phase of LRT, according to Paula Sawicki, manager and coordinatorof rapid transit for the Region of Waterloo.

After consulting with the community, the City of Cambridge, stakeholders and agencies, regional staff looked at design and costs, and presented regional councillors with a preferred route.

Sawickisaid staff picked the preferred route after comparingalternate routes and seeing how well they performed in a number of categories, including how each route would impact thesocial and cultural atmosphere, the natural environmentand the economy.

"We have a technical team that works on the project and so it's really our technical recommendation at this point with the public's input," Sawicki said.

She addedthat at this time they are not sure where the route will end in downtown Cambridge.

Public consultations

Sawicki said asecond round of public consultations are planned for late February and early March, which willreveal changes to the original route andshow the public that their concerns and requests have been taken into consideration.

Those meetings are scheduled for:

• February 23, 2017, from4:00 - 8:00 p.m. atLions Arena,20RittenhouseRoad,Kitchener
• February 28, 2017, from 4:00 - 8:00 p.m. atKin Club of Cambridge,1400 Hamilton Street, Cambridge
• March 1, 2017, from2:00 - 8:00 p.m. atNewfoundland Club,1500DunbarRoad, Cambridge

She said another round of consultations will happen in the fall, after which time her team will be ready to propose a recommended route to regional council.