News roundup: October 9, 2026

By Tri-Cities Transport Action Group

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

What's happening

• MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS: Elections for city, township, region, and school boards will be on October 26. Vote early, or make a plan to vote on election day.
  • A CivicTechWR project called Waterloo Region Votes aggregates information for voters about local municipal elections.
  • The Record and Vox Pop Labs are making available Vote Compass, a tool to help voters check their political alignment with local candidates. (The Record)
  • Our own TriTAG Election Questionnaire now has responses from 99 candidates across Waterloo Region to questions about transit and active transportation.
  • The CycleWR 2026 Candidate Survey is now out, sharing candidate perspectives about active transportation and biking.
  • CBC: Cambridge mayoral candidates shared their plans for transit and the LRT at a public forum on Monday.
  • Citified: Municipal Election 2026. Some thoughts and resources for voting in this month’s elections.
• BIKE ROUTES: The City of Kitchener is developing Route 3 from Sunrise Centre to Fairway Station. Residents are invited to provide comments and feedback about the route by October 12. (EngageWR)

Walking, biking, and streets

• The Region is starting construction at Erb/Caroline on a set of intersection improvements to make it safer and easier to use for walking and biking. (Region of Waterloo / Facebook)
• The Record: Rick Campbell says poor visibility, a downhill approach and new developments have made Guelph Ave in Cambridge hazardous.

Transit

• EngageWR (Region of Waterloo): October 2026 update: Kitchener Central Transit Hub project milestones
• GRT will operate on a holiday schedule on Monday, and routes 1, 6, 8, 20, and 204 will detour around the Oktoberfest parade. (Region of Waterloo)
• CBC Cross Country Checkup: Are you on-board for high speed rail in Canada?

The shape of our cities

• City of Waterloo approves official plan and zoning changes to enable a large development near Northfield ION station with commercial and 3000 homes across several buildings. (CKWR, EngageWR)
• The Record: What are Ontario strong-mayor powers and why are they controversial? Nearly 80 per cent of Ontario candidates oppose strong-mayor powers ahead of Oct. 26 elections, Vote Compass shows.
• The Record: Affordable housing provider backs away from project on Elmira's former Home Hardware site.

Elsewhere

• TVO Today / The Rundown (YouTube): VIA Rail Cuts, TTC Rush-Hour Fares and Toronto Bike Lanes
• CBC: Ontario will officially begin removing Toronto bike lanes on Tuesday
• The Record: I'd trade my car for Germany's transit system. The secret isn’t just high-speed rail or massive infrastructure projects. It’s making public transportation so affordable the alternative seems ridiculous.
• The Flying Moose (YouTube): How Warsaw painstakingly built a transit powerhouse.