On December 10th, 2020 the Notice of Commencement was issued, kicking off the Stage 2 ION Transit Project Assessment Process.
The Region of Waterloo is proposing to extend the ION LRT system an additional 18 km from Fairway station in Kitchener to Downtown Cambridge with eight new stations, creating a continuous LRT service across the Region’s three urban centres. Regional Council endorsed the Preferred Route (see map below) in June 2019 and the preliminary design in April 2020.
To make this a reality the Region must complete a transit project assessment. Starting December 10th you can comment on that process at engagewr.ca/Stage2ION
Onward to Cambridge!
What is a Transit Project Assessment Process (TPA) Process? | ||||
The environmental impact of this transit project is being reviewed through the Ontario government's transit project assessment (TPA) Regulation (O. Reg.) 231/08, Transit Projects and Metrolinx Undertakings. It is a streamlined process under the Environmental Assessment Act. It can be completed in less than six months because each step in the process has a defined time limit. The Transit Project Assessment Process focuses on issues of provincial importance. The TPA Process has three main components:
For more information on the Transit Project Access Process check out Part 1 of this online presentation. |
||||
What is an Environmental Project Report (EPR)? | ||||
Projects following the Transit Project Assessment Process (TPA) Process are required to thoroughly document the project and the process in a report. For transit projects the report is called an Environmental Project Report, or EPR. The EPR is intended to provide enough information to understand what the project is and how it will affect the natural, social, cultural, transportation and economic environments. It is what regulatory agencies use to evaluate the project's potential environmental impacts. The EPR also demonstrates that the project has met its requirements for consultation by documenting when and how various parties have been notified, what comments were received, and how the project team responded. The EPR contains recommendations to reduce environmental impacts and commitments to undertake additional work in the future. These become requirements that the project must follow in the future as a condition of approval. The Region has posted the Draft EPR for review and comment. The Project Team will respond to comments received, and will finalize the EPR. Public may give feedback until February 12, 2021 at: engagewr.ca/Stage2ION For more information about what’s in the Draft EPR, check out Part 2, Part 3 and Part 4 of this online presentation. |
||||
How do I access the EPR documents? | ||||
The Draft EPR is available for review until February 12, 2021 online in the Supporting Documents section below, or in person Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at:
|
||||
Where can I find more background information on ION? | ||||
“Why ION?”A 2-page pamphlet titled summarizes the timeline of LRT from 1976 to 2019, explains how it moves people and builds community, and has a transit line map of LRT stations, both existing and planned. ION Story (2016)A comprehensive 26-page backgrounder that covers:
Consultation material (2015 to 2019)www.stage2ION.ca – Contains all of the public consultation material and Council report from the pre-planning phase, prior to the Transit Project Assessment Process. Consultation material (2004 to 2013)This is a chronological list of consultation material includes the Rapid Transit Individual Environmental Assessment, the transition to the Transit Project Assessment Process, and ION Stop (Station) design. Reports and Updates (2005 to 2012)In Reports and Updates you will find a chronological list of links to Council Reports, Environmental Assessment Reports and the Business Case. The Environmental Assessment reports include:
Reports and Updates (2012 to 2019)Chronological list of links to regular “ION Update” newsletters and other miscellaneous project updates. |
||||
How can I give my input into the process? | ||||
Please provide your comments by February 12, 2021 through the Engage survey. Alternatively, you can submit comments by email to Stage2ION@regionofwaterloo.ca
Under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and the Environmental Assessment Act, unless otherwise stated in the submission, any personal information such as name, address, telephone number and property location included in a submission will become part of the public record files for this matter and will be released, if requested, to any person. |
||||
Who do I contact if I need more information? | ||||
We are here to answer your questions. Matthew O’Neil, Senior Engineer, Rapid Transit Region of Waterloo 20 Weber St E, 4th Floor Kitchener, ON N2H 1C3 Phone: 519-575-4400 | TTY: 519-575-4608 Email: Stage2ION@regionofwaterloo.ca
Keep up-to-date on the project by subscribing to this page and getting notified every time it's updated.
|
Supporting Documents
Contact Us