Tri-Cities Transport Action Group

@tritag.ca

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Tri-Cities Transport Action Group (TriTAG) - a group dedicated to improving walking, biking, and transit in Waterloo Region. 🔗 tritag.ca

Come ride with us on the first weekend GO train to Stratford! On Saturday, July 11, meet at Kitchener GO near the first train car at 10:15 AM. We'll depart Kitchener at 10:25 AM and arrive in Stratford at 11:16 AM! A PC connect bus back to Conestoga mall is available at 1:36 PM, or a returning GO train to Kitchener at 6:16 PM .
Stage 2 route map
TriTAG Social RECAP Boardgames & GRT Puzzle Pictures of the event
TriTAG Social: Boardgames & GRT Puzzle Join us for a transit/urbanism themed boardgame afternoon Sunday, March 15th 2-5pm. DM for location.
You're the flex post in my life <3 Emotionally supportive but temporary To: From:
You electrify my life! Picture of GRT electric bus To: From:
Picture of GO Train at Kitchener Station Valentines card meme format To: From: Are you the Kitchener GO Train? Because I'd love to see you more on weekends <3
Ontario line signs
Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown LRT pulling into Don Valley (previously Science Centre) station.
GL with TriTAG! LINE 5 Eglinton Crosstown RECAP
Go with TriTAG to ride Toronto’s new Line 5 Eglinton Crosstown LRT with us! Sunday, February 8 Meet at Kitchener GO (accessability cab area) at 7:30AM Train Departs: 7:49 AM Arrives Mount Dennis: 9:19AM We’ll ride to Kennedy and back to Eglinton Station for lunch and meet @ttcriders at 1:00pm! 5:03pm train from Mt Dennis Back to Kitchener
Group of 17 people standing in front of an ION map at ABE ERB
Elsewhere Toronto Star: Off the rails: The inside story of how the Eglinton Crosstown LRT went from transit dream to cautionary tale TVO Today: Is it Time to Be Hopeful About Transit in Ontario? | The Rundown Globe & Mail: Opinion | Back on track. Across Canada, there is a grassroots clamouring for the return of railway lines that once provided a reliable and affordable alternative to cars and planes Rail Fans Canada (YouTube): We Visited the Alto High-Speed Rail Open House: Here's What We Learned New York Times: Free Buses? How About Expanding the Subway by 41 Miles Instead? Some transit advocates are wary of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan to subsidize bus fares and argue the money would be better spent on a major subway expansion.
The shape of our cities Water Crisis CBC News: More staff and a lot of money: What the Region of Waterloo says it needs to address water capacity issue: Report says future capital projects could cost $81M The Record: Drying wells and dying wetlands: The growing water crisis beneath the Waterloo Moraine The Record: Water supply crisis sparks call to reform how Waterloo Region is governed CityNews: Local advocates want to see a ‘Blue Belt’ created to protect groundwater Citified: The Upside (January 2026): Let's focus on good things happening in and around Waterloo Region
Transit CambridgeToday: GRT working to enhance bus stop snow removal times by reworking contractor agreements. ION’s success getting some attention in relation to Toronto’s LRT woes Sean Marshall: ION: An Ontario LRT that somehow works CityNews: Advocates say lessons from Kitchener and Waterloo’s Ion LRT could help Toronto transit projects Toronto's Finch West LRT opening, how we can learn from Waterloo's ION LRT success, and the bigger conversation of prioritizing speed in our generational transit investments (Urban Plus Ultra) Region of Waterloo approves up to $600K for a permanent public art installation at the Kitchener Central Transit Hub. (Regional agenda) The Record: A Cambridge councillor is asking the Region of Waterloo to return money Cambridge residents have paid toward the ION light rail system (City of Cambridge agenda) A new transit advocacy podcast discusses the GRT bus service cuts and other transit advocacy occurring in Canada (Dwell Time Podcast)
Walking, biking, and streets On Monday morning, two vehicles plunged from the Highway 7 to 8 flyover, killing one person. Crucially, the fatal second crash was possible because the road was reopened without addressing the root causes. (CityNews, The Record) The Fairway-Rockway trail connection in Kitchener is on hold as staff evaluate Bill 60’s impacts. (EngageWR) The Record: ‘All modes, all roads’: Waterloo Region embarking on integrated mobility plan. The new document will encompass business plans for ION Stage 2 and Grand River Transit and replace the 2018 Transportation Master Plan. CBC: Cambridge snow woes: Residents call for clear streets and sidewalks, question new city campaign. Some residents say Lenny Awards campaign misses the mark as concerns persist about snow clearing The Star: Opinion | I fought for safer Toronto streets after my friend was killed five years ago. Now Doug Ford is undoing that work CBC: 'We're far from OK,' father of child killed in fatal Cambridge collision says after driver charged
What's happening WINTER BIKE: The City of Kitchener is holding a Winter Bike To Work Day with hot drinks and a group ride along some of the city’s separated and winter-maintained bike lanes. It starts on Friday, February 13 at 7:30am at Frederick & Duke. (City of Kitchener, Instagram) PARKING: The City of Cambridge is reviewing its residential parking by-law, specifically regarding parking in the space between the roadway and sidewalk. Survey closes February 8. (EngageWR) PLOWS: The City of Kitchener needs help choosing the best snow plow names (EngageWR) SIDEWALKS: Are there still uneven and impassable sidewalks or crosswalks in your neighbourhood? Our cities largely rely on complaints to react, so do your part and let them know: City of Waterloo contact portal or call 519-747-8785 City of Kitchener contact form or call 519-741-2345 City of Cambridge contact form or contact by-law at (519) 623-1340 ext. 7907 Grand River Transit contact form for uncleared bus stops or ION access TriTAG: We will have an informal social tomorrow - Sunday, February 1st 2-4pm at ABE ERB in the Tannery in Downtown Kitchener. You’re welcome to drop by. We will have some IONizeWR shirts on hand ($25) and those who pre-ordered can also pick theirs up. WAR ON CARS: Cycle Toronto presents a live show of the War on Cars in Toronto, on Thursday, February 5 at 7pm. Tickets and details from Cycle Toronto.
UrITAG. SOCIAL Join us Sunday February 1st 2-4pm at ABE ERB - Kitchener N
Join us Sunday January 25th 2-4pm at ABE ERB - Downtown Kitchener (151 Charles St W, Kitchener, ON N2G 1H6, Floor 1, Tannery Building) for a TriTAG Social & open meeting. Anyone is welcome!
During the region’s morning budget session on Tuesday, the budget committee voted to eliminate a proposed Grand River Transit fare inspector position and added pilot programs to subsidize non-profit and community agencies’ purchase of EasyGO 2-Fare cards and offer free transit to seniors age 65 and over on one day of the week. A motion by Waterloo Mayor Dorothy McCabe to maintain service frequency on GRT Routes 9, 13, 19 and 30 at 20 minutes all day — seen by some as a compromise after hearing from residents opposed to frequency being reduced from 15 to 30 minutes — was lost in a tie vote (8-8). Other councillors heard from “Kitchener folks” that are looking for additional services in different parts of the city, said Vrbanovic. “But there’s just certain realities around the budget that we have in front of us, trying to balance more people who are homeless and all those kinds of things,” he said. The budget committee added the purchase of another Kiwanis transit bus to accommodate accessible transit service in the townships of Wellesley, Wilmot and Woolwich, to be funded by reserves, and also voted to reinstate the free delivery of taxi coupons to customers who purchase them over the phone, maintaining the cost at $30 per $60 value.
SPEAK UP! At a Budget Meeting Dates: Wednesday, Dec 3 Time: 6:00pm Location: Council Chambers 150 Frederick St. Kitchener Sign up to speak here: Question? @ linktr.ee/no_grt_cuts hello@tritag.ca
GRT PROPOSED SERVICE CUTS REDUCED frequency on Routes 13 Laurelwood & 19 Hazel from every 15 mins to every 30 mins
GRT BUS ROUTES 9, 13, 19, 30 CUT 33-50% during peak hours next budget year. This will mean buses coming every 30 mins instead of every 15-020 mins. Speak to council Wed, Dec 3 at 6pm, fill out the GRT survey, and contact your councillor. TriTag.ca links in bio linktr.ee/no_grt_cuts
GO with TriTAG! Ride the First Weekend GO Train with TriTAG Kitchener → Toronto Sunday, November 23 Meet at Kitchener Go between 7:00 - 7:30AM Train Departs: 7:49 AM
Support GRT's Business Plan especially funding key priorities like: Frequent Transit Network Overnight Bus Network • Highway express service • Better township transit • New coverage • All day fixed route Airport service TriTAG.ca
SPEAK UP FOR TRANSIT Join us in-person or virtually to tell Regional Councillors FUND PUBLIC TRANSIT! The Region of Waterloo is currently creating its 2026 Plan and Budget which includes investments in transit. Nov 18 Tuesday Budget Input Meeting 6:00pm Council Chamber, 150 Frederick St, Kitchener Dec 3 Wednesday, Budget Input Meeting 6:00pm Council Chamber, 150 Frederick St, Kitchener Final budget day is December 16. Fill out the survey and contact your councillor to voice your support for transit before then. links in bio IrITAG.ca
Slide with stats on Stage 1 - $5B investment, 19K homes, 50% of growth within urban areas
IONizeWR button on a committee agenda packet. It shows a stylized train around a circular design
Engage WR survey results Top choice for rapid transit • Of the five options being considered, 78% of survey respondents want full LRT. • 53% of respondents were from Cambridge. • Of those Cambridge respondents, 74% want full LRT. • Regardless of how often people ride transit, they see the benefits of LRT; even people who indicated that they rarely or never ride transit want to see full LRT. 100% 78% 80% 60% 40% 20% 13% 0 LRT - Fairway to Downtown Cambridge 5% LRT - Fairway to Pinebush 1% LRT - Fairway to Delta 2% LRT - Preston to Downtown Cambridge BRT
Ipsos survey results • Support for extending rapid transit to Cambridge stands at 75% across the Region, with 54% expressing strong support. • While Cambridge shows slightly lower support (72% vs.76% outside of Cambridge), opposition remains limited to 22% in Cambridge—meaning support exceeds opposition by more than 3:1. • Across the Region, residents prefer LRT over BRT (54% vs 22%), while 23% have no preference. • 70% of residents indicate their decision is firm, suggesting public opinion is unlikely to shift.
TSD-RTS-25-003, Stage 2 ION Initial Business Case Results Recommended Motion: That the Regional Municipality of Waterloo take the following action regarding the Region’s proposed extension of Rapid Transit to Cambridge, as outlined in report TSD-RTS-25-003, dated November 4, 2025: Endorse a full-length extension from Fairway Station in Kitchener to Downtown Cambridge as the preferred route length; Endorse Light Rail Transit (LRT) as the preferred vehicle technology; and Direct staff to pursue full funding from the Provincial and Federal governments for project development and implementation.
SPEAK UP FOR ION Stage 2 Present to Regional Council in-person or virtually on why Council should move forward with ION Stage 2 They will be selecting one of the options for Stage 2 at the Sustainability, Infrastructure, and Development committee meeting on Nov. 4, and affirming it at Council on Nov. 17 Nov 4 9 AM Sustainability, Infrastructure, & Development Committee Council Chamber, 150 Frederick St, Kitchener Nov 17 7 PM Regional Council Meeting Council Chamber, 150 Frederick St, Kitchener Sign up to delegate or make a formal written submission with the link TriTAG. ca
6 maps of Waterloo Region with conceptual ION networks drawn on them with coloured markers
Two men stand behind a tritag table with ION LRT going by
Two men stand behind a tritag table
Poster: Gaukel Block Waterloo Region Climate Fest Sunday, Sept 28th, 1-6pm Waterloo Region's first-ever Climate Fest is happening this fall! Organized by the community, for the community! Get eco-friendly living tips Meet like-minded neighbours and organizations! Learn about WR's sustainable initiatives Performances! Workshops! Food!
TRANSPORTATION SUMMIT 2025 PRESENTED BY L GCATT TAAG TRANSIT ACTION ALLIANCE OF QUELPH Better Transportation Smarter Development Connected Community Join us for a day of discussion on how better transit, cycling, and urban design can shape a more connected and vibrant future FREE EVENT! DONATIONS WELCOMED 10:00AM TO 4:30PM DOORS OPEN 9:30AM SATURDAY OCTOBER 18, 2025 DUBLIN ST UNITED CHURCH 68 SUFFOLK ST W
kitchener central Social Development Centre Waterloo Re... 49 Participants 12 Teams | 9 Volunteers 16 Days Left The RIDE is a family-friendly event where we ride/walk to help raise funds for charities that provide hope, safety, + freedom. Join us Saturday, Oct 4, 2025
Gaukel Block Waterloo Region Climate Fest Sunday, Sept 28th, 1-6pm ICLIMATEACTION WR Waterloo Region's first-ever Climate Fest is happening this fall! Organized by the community, for the community! Get eco-friendly living tips Meet like-minded neighbours and organizations! Learn about WR's sustainable initiatives Performances! Workshops! Food!
Join TriTAg at UPCOMING EVENTS Sept 28 Waterloo Region Climate Fest Hosted by ClimateActionWR at Gaukel Block. A free day of climate solutions, workshops, storytelling, performances, & more! OCT 4 Saturday 10am- 1pm Ride for Refugee Hosted by Social Development Centre WR starting at Red Racoon Bike Rescue. Ride/walk to help raise funds for charities that provide hope, safety, & freedom. OCT 18 Saturday 10am-4pm Guelph Transportation Summit Hosted by Transit Action Alliance Guelph (TAAG) at Dublin St. United Church. Explore innovative solutions and promote accessible, equitable, & sustainable transportation
Waterloo Region is growing quickly, and so is YKF - our International Airport. Over the next 20 years, the airport will continue to become much more than a place to catch a flight—it could be a hub for buses, trains, and light rail [phrase highlighted for emphasis], a center for good local jobs in aviation and aerospace, and a gateway that connects us to the world.
Benefit-Cost Ratio The economic benefits are compared to the capital and operating and maintenance costs through a benefit-cost ratio (BCR), which simplifies the economic benefits and costs down to a single value. The BCR only considers economic benefits expressed in monetary terms; it does not consider all benefits or the strategic goals for rapid transit. Full LRT has the highest economic benefits, however BRT has the highest BCR, due to lower capital costs compared to full LRT. LRT to Pinebush and a separate LRT from Preston to Downtown Cambridge don’t have strong BCRs. Table 6: Benefit-Cost Ratio ID Vehicle From To BCR L1 LRT Fairway Station Downtown Cambridge 0.35 L2 LRT Fairway Station Pinebush Station 0.25 L3 LRT Fairway Station Delta Station 0.33 L4 LRT Preston Station Downtown Cambridge 0.11 B1 BRT Fairway Station Downtown Cambridge 0.45
Options for Rapid Transit to Cambridge: Map of Alignments
IONize Waterloo Region is a TriTAG (Tri-Cities Transport Action Group) initiative to complete the ION LRT network and connect Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo with reliable, sustainable transit. 1️⃣ Stay Informed Follow TriTAG on social media or sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date on our initiatives and opportunities to make your voice heard. Sign up for the IONizeWR newsletter! ↗ Read more on Transit Costs Further reading 2️⃣ Take Action Voice your support to future ION stages by following and completing surveys on the project on EngageWR, emailing your Regional Councillors, and showing up at public meetings. ION Stage 2 on EngageWR ↗ Contacting Regional Councillors ↗ 3️⃣ Volunteer TriTAG is always looking for passionate individuals who want to get involved with our group. Email us at volunteer@tritag.ca and tell us about your interest, skills, and availability. Email volunteer@tritag.ca ↗
How Do We Expand ION? 1. In-House Project Team Create and maintain a public transit infrastructure team responsible for managing and delivering transit projects efficiently and consistently. This enables less reliance on consultants for core project management and more cost- and schedule-effective procurement. Building in-house capacity would help get ION stage 2 built, and we would be able to leverage the expertise to continue efficient transit expansion.
What Could Stage 3 and Beyond Look Like? A number of ideas have shown up in Region of Waterloo planning concepts: Erb-University-King Corridor: Connecting the Boardwalk, the Erb Street corridor, the university district, and King Street. Victoria–Highland–Queen Corridor: A central cross-town route in Kitchener. Ottawa Street Corridor: A cross-town route in Kitchener, connecting over a new Grand River crossing to the Regional Airport. A growing community needs more than just one rapid transit corridor, and extending the ION line with additional higher-order lines will help guide more of the Region’s growth to be in the form of transit-oriented, walkable development, and provide a better connected overall transit network for all of us.
ION Stage 2: Shaping the Future of Waterloo Region Extending the LRT to Cambridge will complete a reliable high-quality foundation for the entire Waterloo Region central transit corridor. Unlock Economic Opportunities for Cambridge: Like Stage 1, Stage 2 will unlock major growth along Hespeler Road and in Preston and Galt, bringing new homes, jobs, investment, and placemaking. Transit-Oriented Growth: As the Region gains population, ION will support more of that growth being in compact, walkable developments with easier car-free access to jobs and amenities. Three Cities, one ION: Cambridge’s leaders supported ION Stage 1 in part because of the promise of Stage 2. Fulfilling that promise is important for a strong Waterloo Region that sees Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo working together for a shared future.
ION Stage 1: A Proven Success ION Stage 1 delivered strong results for Kitchener-Waterloo: Economic Growth: Sparked nearly $5 billion in development along the line. Steady Ridership: In 2023, ION LRT carried approximately 4.3 million annual rides, translating to roughly 11,780 daily boardings. Land Use: Since its approval in 2009, nearly 19,000 residential units were built along the corridor.
Our Vision We envision a Waterloo Region where multiple ION lines are part of a strong transit network that anchors our urban land use and economy, with easy access for people to get across the Region. Building on the success of ION Stage 1, it’s time to deliver the promise of that network to Cambridge.
Charge Up Waterloo Region With Transit IONize Waterloo Region envisions a complete, reliable rapid transit network that connects Cambridge, Kitchener, and Waterloo – guiding growth, improving access, and strengthening our region. It’s time to build ION Stage 2, the full LRT extension to Cambridge, and then to keep building.
Three TriTAG volunteers standing behind a TriTAG table at a night market
Two of our volunteers standing behind a table with TriTAG signs and pamphlets.
Screenshot of Transit App showing purchase options for a single ride ticket ($3), day pass ($8), or group pass ($12)
3 people sitting around a wooden table smiling playing next station Tokyo
Join us for a transit/urbanism themed boardgame afternoon Sunday June 22nd 1-4pm! DM us for the location.
Rodney and Noah posing in a frame at the tritag table
Figure 1 - Image of the section of road to be opened as Bleams Road between Wilson avenue and Manitou Drive.