The 1.5 km multi-use Market Trail is open

Waterloo Region – A community inaugural trail walk/run/cycle today officially opened the Region’s Market Trail — a new 1.5-kilometre trail that connects the City of Waterloo and Township of Woolwich.

This new multi-use, all ages and abilities trail runs along the Region-owned rail corridor between Northfield Drive in Waterloo and Farmer’s Market Road in Woolwich — connecting ION light rail directly to St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market and key employment areas.

Market Trail features lighting designed to support future decorative installations, benches, and bike racks with space for future bike share and scooter share stations. The trail will be winter-maintained to support sustainable transportation year-round.

This first stage of Market Trail is a unique “Rail with Trail” project that gives residents and visitors more ways to travel across the region. This section of the railway is used primarily by Waterloo Central Railway, which offers historic passenger train rides from its Northfield Drive Station to the Village of St. Jacobs and Town of Elmira. Market Trail provides a direct connection to ION Northfield Station at the existing midblock traffic signals, key employers with access ramps, and Woolwich’s multi-use trail network at Farmer’s Market Road to connect to the Market District and beyond.

A second stage (approximately 200m) of Market Trail is underway to connect the first stage to the City of Waterloo’s Parkside Drive multi-use path. Once complete, this Trans-Canada Trail route between Woolwich and Waterloo will provide a dedicated, off-road cycling network from the Iron Horse Trail in Kitchener to the Village of St. Jacobs.

Market Trail is a world-class initiative that supports the Region’s Strategic Plan priorities of growing a thriving economy, offering more environmentally sustainable travel choices for residents while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and improving connections between our urban and rural community spaces.

This project was a collaborative success with funding from the Government of Canada’s ($1,124,000) Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF) and Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), as well as the Government of Ontario ($940,000), Trans-Canada Trail funding, and the Region of Waterloo ($750,000), totaling approximately $2.85 million for design and construction of Stage 1. The City of Waterloo, Township of Woolwich, Waterloo Central Railway, the Market District, and other key employers were valuable contributors and champions of this initiative.

For more information on Market Trail and the Region of Waterloo’s investment in active transportation projects, subscribe to Around the Region or visit regionofwaterloo.ca and www.grt.ca/PTIF.

Quotes:

“The completion of this new multi-use trail that connects Waterloo and Woolwich is important for our residents,“ said the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Member of Parliament for Waterloo on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities. “Market Trail will help connect our residents by supporting walking, running, cycling, and rolling between ION Northfield Station and St. Jacobs Farmers’ Market. The Government of Canada will continue to work with partners across the country to create safer, more sustainable and accessible transportation infrastructure.”

“Our government is helping municipalities get shovels in the ground to build infrastructure that connects people to jobs, supports economic growth and helps fight gridlock,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “Our investment in Market Trail supports the local economy and tourism by providing a new connection for pedestrians and cyclists between the Waterloo ION at Northfield Station and Farmer’s Market Road in Woolwich, while improving safety and local commutes.” 

“The Famer’s Market Trail is a great way for people to travel between Woolwich and Waterloo, whether you’re a resident or stopping by for a visit,” said Mike Harris, MPP, Kitchener-Conestoga. “This project shows how the Ontario government is working with municipalities to connect people to jobs, support local economic development and make life better for communities.”

“Market Trail is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when different levels of government and the community come together,” said Region of Waterloo Chair Karen Redman. “Not only does this trail provide the community with access to year-round active transportation, it supports Regional Council’s vision in meeting our climate change goals.”