Councillor looking for clear communication on Kitchener transit hub

The massive transit hub in Kitchener on Victoria Street and expanded GO transit facility have yet to be built, but that’s not stopping one Region of Waterloo councillor from wanting to organize a way to keep the community informed on the project.

Matt Rodrigues, Regional Councillor for Kitchener, will be presenting a motion at a committee meeting on Tuesday meeting, asking staff to present their plans for how they will keep the public updated on the Kitchener Central Transit Hub (KCTH).

It also calls for how they can best engage with residents in the area, have Metrolinx take part and give updates on the construction.

The motion asks that the Commissioner of Transportation and the Commissioner of Resident Experience, Strategy, and Communications report back to the committee by the end of the year.

Preparations are being made by the region with the idea that Metrolinx will take over the land at 100 Victoria St. in March 2026 to begin construction.

That includes the removal of encampment residents in the area, made possible by a site-specific by-law which is being challenged in the courts.

The project itself is expected to take several years and be done over multiple phases.

Rodrigues said the goal of the updates would be to give the community a heads-up so they can plan when construction begins.

“We know that construction will bring some inevitable questions and might cause some concerns, but I think we can get ahead of it,” said Rodrigues. “We can provide meaningful ways for the community to share their input and provide resources for people to learn about what is happening in their neighbourhood.”

There are already updates on the EngageWR page and the Metrolinx page on this project, but Rodrigues notes this motion would help coordinate messages between all parties.

“The residents want to know where they can seek that one-stop-shop information and how we can be a bit more proactive together in letting the community know what is coming up months and years ahead,” said Rodrigues.

Tuesday’s committee meeting will begin at 9:30 a.m.

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