News roundup: May 31, 2026

By Tri-Cities Transport Action Group

Here’s the latest in walking, biking, and transit news for Waterloo Region from the last week or so.

What's happening

• ACCESSIBILITY: The 2026 National AccessAbility Week Tradeshow and Conference will take place at the Ken Seiling Waterloo Regional Museum on June 1st and 2nd. Attendance is free, and there will be an accessible GRT shuttle from Fairway Station (City of Kitchener)
• MYERS ROAD: The Region is seeking public input for a proposed urbanization improvement of Myers Road from Walter Street to Branchton Road. A survey opens on June 1st, and closes on June 26th (EngageWR)
• G2G BRIDGE: The region has posted a notice for the Goderich to Guelph (G2G) rail trail bridge. Comments about the planned work can be submitted to Transport Canada until June 28th (Region of Waterloo)
• UW BIKE FAIR: The University of Waterloo is hosting a Bike Fair in order to bring together campus and community partners to share information and resources to support cycling and sustainable transportation. The fair is taking place on June 3rd (University of Waterloo)

Walking, biking, and streets

• No right-on-red pilot recommended for a dozen Regional road intersections (Cambridge Today, Regional Council agenda)
• The Region’s new Street Design Guide is up for approval after revisions to accommodate horse-and-buggy use. The guidelines lay out a clear prioritization for active transportation and transit for different kinds of streets and roads, including elements like transit priority measures, protected bike lanes, continuous sidewalks, and multi-use paths along rural connector roads (Regional Council agenda)
• City News: ‘Cycling Smarts’ program teaches bike safety to Grade 5 students in Waterloo
• CBC: These gardening and bike repair services come to you — without a car
• City News: Construction on Scheifele Bridge to begin on June 1st, continue until 2028 in stages

Transit

• Kitchener Central Station
  • FM 98.5 CKWR: Premier Ford doubles down on ‘cockamamie’ Kitchener encampment decision
  • TVO: Analysis – What rogue councillors and encampment clearings have in common
• A pickup truck driver made a U-turn in front of an ION train, derailing it (CTV News)
  • CTV News: More than 70 LRT collisions reported in Waterloo Region within the last year
• Township transit program delayed as province has not yet approved funding (Regional Council agenda)
• GRT staff report current fare prices are not sustainable, and incremental fare increases will likely begin in future years (Regional Council agenda)
• Cambridge Today: City of Cambridge helping seniors get comfortable with public transit through Ride-a-Bus event on June 3rd

The shape of our cities

• Kitchener’s new 25 year official plan is going up for council approval this week. The plan will guide growth to downtown, major transit station areas, strategic growth areas, and to four new urban centres, while enabling missing middle housing across the city and reducing city minimum parking requirements (Kitchener Council agenda, EngageWR)
• New Regional airport growth plan up for approval this week, with consideration for connection to a future Breslau GO station and a future Ottawa Street ION corridor (Regional Council agenda)
• CTV News: Waterloo Region’s population growth stalls after international student decline: report
• The Record: Stalled Waterloo housing projects put millions in federal funds at risk
• The Record: Soaring supply, but sluggish sales: Waterloo Region’s condo market ‘correcting itself over time’
• City News: ‘You didn’t make any friends around here’: Chilligo Road subdivision turned down
• The Record: Kitchener councillors approve plans for downtown affordable housing tower and fire station
• The Record: Decision nearing on new community for 29,000 people in southwest Kitchener
• CBC: Region looks to expand water conservation efforts in light of capacity constraint
• Region of Waterloo: Region and WRDSB advance modular child care at two Kitchener schools

Elsewhere

• CBC: Toronto Island airport to be designated special economic zone after provincial takeover. Province passes law that allows it to take over land on which airport sits
• Guelph Today: Guelph’s Pride Ride rolls out next week
• EloraFergusToday: Hybrid transit network recommended for Centre Wellington
• Spacing: Church Street is being pedestrianized — that wasn’t so hard, was it?