CambridgeToday received the following letter to the editor from Nathan Whalen in response to our article 'Region asks, would Cambridge benefit from a GO transit line?'
I'm writing in response to the February 21, 2024 article titled, "Region asks, would Cambridge benefit from a GO transit line?"
Yes. The Region should immediately approve the Cambridge GO initial business case and enact a Transit Station Development Charge By-Law to pay for it.
We're the only 100K+ Ontario municipality without a GO Rail connection.
We need this because it will be good for our economy, improve our quality of life, and reduce highway traffic.
Not only will this get us to and from Toronto Union Station but it will also create connections with Guelph, Brampton, and Mississauga, enhancing Cambridge's attractiveness as a top place to live, work, and play.
The estimated cost is about one tenth of that of ION Phase II and the Region should enact a Transit Station Development Charge By-Law on nearby developments to pay for both this and the proposed Breslau GO Station, so it's not (entirely) on the back of local property taxpayers.
In the interim, Grand River Transit should pilot a rapid regional bus connection to and from both Kitchener and Guelph GO Stations.
As I write this at 7PM on a Monday, catching the bus from Pinebush Road Station it would take:
- To Kitchener GO: 1 Hour 27 Minutes
- To Guelph GO: 1 Hour 41 Minutes
- To Union Station: 2 Hours 59 Minutes
There's also a private company, OurBus, from Kitchener to Union Station that takes 2 Hours 19 Minutes. Tomorrow, each of their 23 bus trips are sold out, which should tell us something about our community need.
Let's approve this and get shovels in the ground ASAP,
Nathan Whalen
Cambridge
