Price tag for running the ION into downtown Cambridge has regional council considering truncated route

The new price tag attached to running the ION into downtown Cambridge has regional council now considering a pair of truncated transit options.

A presentation to the region’s Planning and Works Committee on Tuesday pegs the latest cost estimate for an eight-stop line from Fairway Station in Kitchener to downtown Cambridge at just under $4.5 billion.

“I guess the big question here is the $4.463 billion — that’s a lot of money,” said Coun. Pam Wolf, who then questioned how much of that may be available through outside sources.

“Do we think the provincial and federal governments are going to fund this with us?” she asked region staff.

“That’s a great question,” answered Matthew O’Neil, the region’s manager of rapid transit coordination. “There have been projects that have received full funding and there have been projects that have not received full funding for capital costs so, unfortunately, it’s difficult to speculate.”

The costing concerns now have council considering a pair of other options, including a $3 billion three-stop line to Pinebush Station and a $4 billion six-stop line to Delta Station.

“I’m, kind of, of the mindset that, if we’re going to go into this, we should go all the way, literally and figuratively,” said Coun. Chantal Huinink, noting the original option still seems to represent the best bang for the region’s buck.

The main concern with all three options though is the money, with Coun. Doug Craig asking if the region shouldn’t be seeking outside help to see how much may, in fact, be available from the upper levels of government.

“Some sort of commentary from someone who will look at this and say to us if this is realistic because, quite frankly, I don’t think it is — in any sense of the word.” Craig said.

“No government is going to give $4.46 billion to Cambridge to run an LRT,” he continued. “That’s not going to happen.”

“I agree with rapid transit, I agree that Cambridge needs to have something, but I think also what we need to have is some reality on what we can get.”

In the end, the committee decided not to decide for now, instead choosing to defer that decision, likely, until June.