Regional Municipality of Waterloo - Transport

Transport

Public transport is provided by Grand River Transit, created from amalgamation of the former Cambridge Transit and Kitchener Transit systems. The Region also owns and operates the Region of Waterloo International Airport, near Breslau. The airport is the 20th busiest in Canada as of December 2010 and underwent a major expansion in 2003. According to GO Transit's website, the agency is planning to expand its rail services to the region by the end of 2011. The plan calls for extending its Georgetown line along existing CN track with stations in Acton, Guelph (existing station), Breslau and Kitchener (existing station).

The Region is in the planning stages of a rapid transit link system between Waterloo, Kitchener, and Cambridge. Regional council has approved the initiative and the Region is currently in discussions with Provincial and Federal governments to obtain funding for the $790 million project. Light Rail Transit has been short-listed as the technology for the new rapid transit system. The Region has decided upon a Staged approach for building Light Rail from Conestoga Mall to Fairview Park Mall, passing through Uptown Waterloo and Downtown Kitchener on the way. Adapted Bus Rapid Transit is to be built initially from Fairview Park Mall to the Ainslie St. Transit Terminal in Cambridge utilizing shoulder bypass lanes along highways 8 and 401 during heavy traffic where speeds are 40 km/h or less. This rapid transit proposal was approved in June 2011.

A unique innovation of the area is that it is home to Ontario's first CarSharing organization, Grand River CarShare. CarShare provides access to vehicles on a self serve pay per use basis, located in many neighbourhoods around the Region. It is meant to complement other sustainable modes of transportation such as public transit, biking, carpooling, and acts as a transition out of owning a vehicle. Grand River CarShare has 12 vehicles stationed in the Region of Waterloo.