MPP for Kitchener Centre fighting for more GO service

After some news broke that Metrolinx’s new rail service expansion likely won’t include the long-promised all-day, two-way GO service to Kitchener — the MPP for Kitchener Centre is speaking out.

Aislinn Clancy said if the province wants more people to continue moving here, then transit must keep up with the demand.

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO), however, said it won’t comment until an announcement on the rail expansion has been made officially. The MTO added a date and time for the announcement is coming soon.

“Our area is a tech hub in Ontario, between Toronto and Kitchener is so much of our economy and so many dollars and so many people are going between these two city centres, let alone students. So, to me, it was a real miss,” said Clancy.

Waterloo Region has been waiting for two-way, all-day GO train service since 2018 when Premier Ford made a promise as part of his election campaign.

No report or announcement has been made officially from MTO about Metrolinx’s latest rail service expansion.

Clancy said from what she saw in an earlier document, the majority of service expansions were in the GTA.

If enough people in the community push for the GO service expansion to and from Kitchener, Clancy thinks the MTO’s plans could change.

“I’ll be having chats with the transportation minister and pushing for him to see this as important for Ontario.”

With more and more people around Waterloo Region depending on transit for commuting to or from work, Clancy said more investments into transit are needed.

“I know there is a lot of transit users out there, I talk to them all the time about what their experience is like when they are left because the bus is full, or when there isn’t a train when they need one.”