News roundup: May 13, 2026

By Tri-Cities Transport Action Group

Here’s the latest in walking, biking, and transit news for Waterloo Region from the last two weeks!

What's happening

• TREES: The Region of Waterloo is developing an Urban Forestry Management Plan and now has an idea gallery open until August 1 (EngageWR).
• TRUSSLER Rd: The Region of Waterloo is seeking feedback on options in widening Trussler Road between Highway 7/8 and Bleams Road from 2 to 4 traffic lanes and to provide separated space for walking and biking. A video overview is available with opportunity to comment and ask questions (EngageWR).
• KITCHENER STRATEGY: The City of Kitchener is looking for volunteers to join its Resident Panel to help shape its next strategic plan. Applications close May 29. (EngageWR, The Record)
• STREET DESIGN: The Region of Waterloo’s new Street Design Guidelines will be up for approval on June 2. People can register as a delegation at the committee meeting to formally weigh in. (Region of Waterloo)
• WELLESLEY: Wellesley Township’s draft Official Plan is now available for review on EngageWR. A public workshop will be held on the evening of May 13 and an open house on May 27. (EngageWR)
• WILMOT: Wilmot Township’s draft Official Plan has its formal public meeting on May 21. (EngageWR)
• BILL 98: TTCriders is still asking people to sign a petition against the transit provisions of Ontario Bill 98. As it stands, the bill wouldn’t apply to GRT, but changing that would be a matter of regulation, not legislation

Walking, biking, and streets

• Kitchener gets gold status as a Bicycle Friendly Community (City of Kitchener website and Instagram, The Record)
• Toronto Today: Kids on board? Ontario wants to scrap $1K ticket risk for carrying children on cargo e-bikes
• Auditor general’s report finds big problems in large commercial truck driver training in Ontario (CBC, Auditor General)
• Safe streets
  • Instead of speed enforcement, the province is funding kid-designed signs asking drivers to slow down in school zones (Cambridge Today, CTV News)
  • The Record: New road safety measures coming to Kitchener streets this year
  • City News: Waterloo turns to speed humps, raised crosswalks following speed camera ban
  • The Record: Waterloo Region speed cameras net $1.3M and counting. Millions of dollars in provincial funding have been allotted to the region for future road safety initiatives.

Transit

• City News: ‘Significant’ wage, benefit increases: non-ION GRT employees ratify new deal
• GO train service to be replaced by buses between Kitchener and Union May 16–18 for rail corridor works (CBC, GO Transit, GO bus adjustments)
• Kitchener Central Station
  • Kitchener Central Transit Hub project continues to move forward (Region of Waterloo via EngageWR)
  • Opinion | A gorgeous future transit terminal, a miserable clutch of flimsy tents: Two ends of the same road (Luisa D’Amato via The Record)
  • City News: Prolonged closure on Duke Street in preparation for transit hub
• Metrolinx
  • Sean Marshall: How Metrolinx gets in the way of passenger rail service: As an agency of the province, Metrolinx should support Ontarians travelling on trains within Ontario, even if they are not aboard Metrolinx-operated GO trains
  • The Trillium: GO trains using ‘obsolete’ crash-recording devices 
  • The Trillium: GO train crash recorders failed multiple times in recent years: documents
• Jonathan English distinguishes between engineering problems and “phone call problems” as a crucial way of identifying ways to keep infrastructure costs in check (Infrastory)

The shape of our cities

• Cambridge Today: Province passes bill to make appointment of regional chairs official
• Cambridge Today: Cambridge company behind $15M solution to region's water shortage. Laminar Water is providing an ultrafiltration container to run a pilot side stream project at the Mannheim Water Treatment Plant that could add up to half of the new water capacity needed to solve the current constraint
• The City of Waterloo approved a Community Planning Permit System to streamline development approvals along the Erb Street corridor from Ira Needles to Westmount (EngageWR, City of Waterloo)
• On May 4, City of Kitchener staff presented citywide survey results and proposed next steps for Kitchener's Strategic Plan from 2027-2030 (EngageWR/Staff Summary, The Record)
• The Record: Preston plan to allow up to 18-storey buildings in core as Cambridge councillor expresses concern.
• Cambridge Today: Residents push back against plan to build thousands of homes on northwest farmland
• Melissa Bowman recaps good things happening in and around Waterloo Region (Citified)

Elsewhere

• Global News: Metrolinx expects 2028 completion date for Hazel McCallion LRT in Mississauga
• The Hamilton Spectator: ‘This is moving forward’: First construction contract awarded for long-delayed Hamilton LRT
• Infrastory: The Toronto Model for Transit: Induced demand is real for transit too 
• CBC: Ottawa proposes suite of measures to streamline project approvals, complete review process within 1 year. Environmental groups and former Liberal environment minister decry proposed changes
  • See also the Federal government’s news release and two discussion papers: Get Major Projects Built in Canada, Strengthen One Canadian Economy through Trade and Transportation