'This is about moving people': Regions top politician calls for more transit services
Waterloo Region’s top politician has urged the Ford government for action and details on its plans for two-way, all-day GO train service to Kitchener in an open letter following complaints from stranded passengers.
On Thursday, a letter from regional chair Karen Redman to Caroline Mulroney, Ontario’s minister of transportation, and Stan Cho, the associate minister, outlined the concerns over frequency and capacity for intercity transit service.
“People felt they were being left behind, they were seeing buses go past because they were overfull so, I sent a letter to minister Mulroney,” said Redman. “We need this transportation — people depend on it.”
The letter outlines three key areas of concern:
- An updated timeline to deliver on two-way, all day GO train service on the Kitchener Line
- The province expand GO bus service to centres like Hamilton, Guelph and Brantford
- A discussion on commitments to a Breslau GO station an GO train service to Cambridge via the Fergus subdivision
MORE BUSES
Earlier this week, Metrolinx, which operates GO Transit, announced it would be expanding bus service from Waterloo to Brampton.
GO bus service is being added on routes 30 and 31 for customers in Waterloo Region:
- Three new eastbound weekend trips will depart University of Waterloo at 9:17 a.m., 10:12 a.m., and 11:12 a.m., and arrive at Bramalea GO at 10:42 a.m., 11:42 a.m. and 12:42 p.m.
- Five new westbound weekend trips will depart Bramalea GO at 4:40 p.m., 5:40 p.m., 6:40 p.m., 7:40 p.m. and 8:40 p.m., and arrive at University of Waterloo at 6:10 p.m., 7:10 p.m., 8:10 p.m., 9:05 p.m. and 10:05 p.m.
- Two new eastbound weekday trips will depart University of Waterloo at 3:18 p.m. and 4:18 p.m., and arrive at Bramalea GO at 5:03 p.m. and 6:03 p.m.
“I’m really pleased to see that there will be service starting this Saturday,” said Redman. “This is about moving people. This is about reducing greenhouse gas emissions. This isn’t just a good thing to do, it’s the right thing to do.”
One University of Waterloo student noted that all the new rides throughout the weekend appeared to be full.
"I came in September and I've been using the GO bus to Toronto, so I've noticed it's smooth and I like it," said Patrick. "The bus comes every hour and there's always people. It's always kind of full, so I think more buses will do."
GOVERNMENT RESPONSE
Waterloo MPP, Catherine Fife (NDP), brought the issue to Queen’s Park, asking Mulroney when residents could expect a weekend train to get to Kitchener on the Kitchener Line.
“The people of Kitchener and Waterloo are getting left behind by this government. I don’t mean figuratively, I mean literally,” said Fife in the legislature.
Rising to respond, Mulroney backed the government’s track record on transit.
“Kitchener-Waterloo is a growing area and that’s why Metrolinx is constantly monitoring service and ridership levels and that is why just recently we announced increased bus service,” said Mulroney. “While the demand was greater than we even though, the next day we added double decker buses to meet the demand.”
In an email to CTV News, Kitchener-Conestoga MPP, Mike Harris (PC), said pandemic disruptions are still impacting transit ridership and the province is committed to its transit expansion plan.
“We will continue to work closely with CN to incrementally increase service along core sections of the Kitchener corridor that are CN-owned,” read part of Harris’ statement.
The expansion of the Kitchener Line continues to provide 15 minute, two-way, all-day service meant to better serve residents in Kitchener-Waterloo, Guelph-Wellington and beyond.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada's most wanted fugitive arrested in P.E.I. in connection with Toronto homicide
A suspect in a fatal shooting in Toronto’s east end last summer has been arrested in Charlottetown, just one week after he topped a list of Canada’s most wanted fugitives.
Concerns about plexiglass prompt inspections at some Loblaws locations in Ottawa
Inspections are underway at more than one Loblaws location in Ottawa after complaints were filed about tall plexiglass barriers.
Wisconsin school district says active shooter 'neutralized' outside middle school
A Wisconsin school district said an active shooter was 'neutralized' outside a middle school in Mount Horeb on Wednesday, and no one inside the building was injured.
Poilievre unrepentant over calling Trudeau 'wacko' as his MPs say Speaker should resign
An unrepentant Pierre Poilievre returned to the House of Commons on Wednesday to pepper the prime minister about his drug decriminalization policies after being booted the day prior for refusing to take back calling Justin Trudeau 'wacko' over his approach to the issue.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confirms his party will support the Liberals' federal budget
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says his party will support the federal budget, ending any speculation that the party could pull out of its deal with the minority Liberal government.
Toddler of Phoenix first responder dies after bounce house goes airborne
A two-year-old child died after a strong gust of wind sent the bounce house he was in airborne and into a neighbouring lot in central Arizona, the Pinal County Sheriff's Office said.
Dental care program accepting claims for 1 million seniors
Citizens' Services Minister Terry Beech says 1,200 seniors have already visited a dentist and had their claims processed by the federal government's new dental care plan.
Five human skeletons, missing hands and feet, found outside house of Nazi leader Hermann Göring
The remains belonged to three adults, a teenager and a newborn baby, according to a statement from the Latebra Foundation, a historical organization based in the Polish city of Gdansk, published Thursday.
BREAKING Federal employees will be required to spend 3 days a week in the office
Starting in September, public servants in the core public administration will be required to work in the office a minimum of three days a week. The Treasury Board Secretariat says executives will need to be in the office four days per week.