News roundup: August 16, 2026

By Tri-Cities Transport Action Group

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

What's happening

• MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS: Elections for city, township, region, and school boards will be on October 26. Consider using your time or money to support the candidates who you would like to see represent you!
  • The deadline to register to run is 2pm on Friday, August 21. (CBC)
• The City of Cambridge is planning targeted improvements in Churchill and Birkinshaw parks, potentially including the trail network, and has a survey open. (EngageWR)
• KITCHENER COMMITTEES: The City of Kitchener is seeking volunteers for 2-year terms on advisory committees, including Active Transportation and Trails. Applications are open until August 19.
• WATERLOO TREES: The City of Waterloo is seeking feedback on its Draft Urban Forest Management Strategy. The survey is extended until September 13.

Walking, biking, and streets

• The Myers Road redesign in Cambridge was supported by Regional Council, despite pushback about school pick-up/drop-off (The Record)
• CKWR: A Kitchener motorcyclist was killed in a crash with two passenger vehicles along Highway 7/8 at Road 104.
• CBC: 'Exponential rise': Canadian pediatricians document severe e-scooter injuries, deaths in children, teens

Transit

• The Record: How the drop in international students is reshaping Grand River Transit services. The change has already led GRT to reduce some service.
• GO trains to Kitchener and Stratford were cancelled this weekend, and train timing on Monday and Tuesday will be adjusted due to "work for a second track and corridor improvements" (CBC)
• The Trillium: ‘Could’ve been catastrophic’: Metrolinx construction near-misses prompt safety questions. Workers nearly crushed by massive loads, struck underground power lines: leaked reports
• Infrastory: Freight and Passenger Rail Have Different Needs. We need a better way.

The shape of our cities

• Changes are proposed to a large subdivision planned adjacent to the future Breslau GO station. The plan includes a mix of uses, but would be largely composed of single detached houses and would place high-density residential next to Highway 7. A planning public meeting is scheduled for September 15. (EngageWR)
• The Record: Region of Waterloo taking ownership of road at Wilmot land assembly site
• The Record: Opinion | Something big is happening at Wilmot’s industrial megasite. Why are we in the dark?
• The Record: Talk returns in the community about the countryside line. The proposal by CRA Lands Limited to obtain an industrial land-use designation for 108 acres of agricultural land and a former gravel pit north of Bridge Street West has renewed focus on the countryside line.
• The Record: Long journey to transform former Kitchener industrial site almost complete. The new rental apartment building features 172 units.
• The Record: Opinion | Ford is stripping Waterloo Region’s municipal elections of democracy. This is why he gets away with it

Elsewhere

• CityNews Toronto: Ontario Line costs triple and likely to increase as per latest estimates
• CBC: Ontario Court of Appeal says Ford can rip out Toronto bike lanes
• TVO: ANALYSIS: The Ford government has won its bike lane legal battle. So, back to politics
• Oh The Urbanity: Are Pedestrian Streets Actually Good for Business?
• Railway Age: VIA Rail Advances Dorval Multimodal Hub Project