Future ION stop branding unveiled at King/Victoria

Waterloo Region – The first in a series of ION-branded signs to identify the future light rail transit (LRT) stops in Waterloo Region was unveiled by Regional Council at the corner of King and Victoria Streets in Kitchener on Tuesday afternoon.

The ION-branded signs will be placed near all 16 future stops along the 19-kilometre LRT route that will stretch from the Conestoga Mall transit terminal in Waterloo to the Fairview Park Mall transit terminal in Kitchener.

“King and Victoria is a great look into our region’s future,” said Jim Wideman, Regional Councillor and Chair of the Planning and Works Committee. “At this corner, we can see new residential and office developments underway. Investments that, in a large part, would not be happening without ION. Identifying the location of each ION stop will help the community picture the future and see where ION can take them.”

The ION King/Victoria stop will provide an important transfer point on the LRT route, connecting to local Grand River Transit services, GO Transit and VIA Rail, while serving as a gateway to Downtown Kitchener.

There is more than $330 million worth of investment happening near the corner of King and Victoria with Perimeter Development’s investment in the Breithaupt Block ($70 million upon completion), Zehr Group’s investment in 607 King ($100 million upon completion) and Momentum Development’s investment in One Victoria ($65 million upon completion) and One Hundred ($95 million upon completion).

Branded signs will also be placed along the ION adapted bus rapid transit (aBRT) route this summer to help residents identify the stops that connect the Fairview Park Mall transit terminal with the Ainslie Street transit terminal in Cambridge. Construction of the ION aBRT transit system will get underway this summer, with the service set to start in 2015.

ION light rail construction will also begin this year, with service scheduled to begin in 2017.

- 30 -

For more information please contact:

Kimberly Moser, Manager, Rapid Transit Community Relations,

Phone: 519-575-4757, ext. 3461  Cell: 519-501-6266, kmoser@regionofwaterloo.ca

The Region of Waterloo provides more than 60 per cent of municipal services to a growing population of 550,000 people. We are committed to creating an inclusive, thriving and sustainable community through innovative leadership and a range of services such as: public health, social services, planning, heritage, water supply, regional roads, waste management, ambulance service, rural libraries, public transit, community housing, emergency planning, Provincial Offences Courts and airport services.