News roundup: October 16, 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.
  • Resources: Waterloo Region Votes, Vote Compass
  • Candidate surveys: TriTAG, CycleWR, Strong Towns WR
  • CityNews: How to cast your ballot early in Waterloo Region. All seven municipalities will have advance polling options available for residents by the end of this week. Monday, Oct. 26 is election day.
• CHERRY PARK: The City of Kitchener is updating Cherry Park to improve stormwater measures and enhance the park. The virtual open house on the design closes next week on Thursday, October 22. (EngageWR)

Walking, biking, and streets

• The Region of Waterloo selected a design option for Trussler Road changes between Highway 7/8 and Bleams Road. The road will be widened to 4 general lanes, with a multi-use path on the east side and a short section of multi-use path on the west side. (EngageWR)
• Construction for the City of Kitchener Schneider/Shoemaker creek naturalization project alongside the Iron Horse Trail is now delayed until 2028. (EngageWR)
• When Line 34 (Highway 7/8) was closed after a collision, a driver went around the barricades, struck and critically injured a pedestrian, then fled the scene. Another collision then occurred during the investigation for this one. (CKWR)
• CKWR: E-scooter rider in hospital after serious single-vehicle crash in Kitchener.

The shape of our cities

• The Region of Waterloo's pilot for using modular containers for water treatment is now online, addressing capacity issues several years ahead of expectations. (CTVNews, Region of Waterloo, CBC)
• The Region shares a summary of progress on its Plan to End Chronic Homelessness (Region of Waterloo)

Elsewhere

• CTV Your Morning (YouTube): How Transit & Gridlock Are Driving Ontario's Municipal Elections
• Waymo is coming to Canada, starting in Toronto. It will begin with manual driving testing, with plans for autonomous rides starting in 2028. (Toronto Star, CTV, Waymo)
• Bill 212
  • Protesters delayed the start of the Ford government’s removal of the Bloor Street bike lanes in Toronto (Toronto Star, The Canadian Press)
  • Coverage on the ground of the protests from: Two Wheeled Politics, Tom Flood, Observing The City, Sean Marshall, Rodney Chan
  • CBC: Toronto cyclists ask Canada's top court to weigh in on Ford's bike lane removal plan