Mar 15, 2014 - A significant milestone was reached this month when Council approved GrandLinq as the preferred team to d
ION Update March 2014 Preferred Team A significant milestone was reached this month when Council approved GrandLinq as the preferred team to design, build, finance, operate and maintain (DBFOM) ION Stage 1 light rail transit (LRT). Council's decision followed a comprehensive evaluation of the proposals submitted from the three short-listed teams in the running to build LRT between Kitchener and Waterloo. Speaking after the decision, Councillor Jim Wideman, Chair of the Planning and Works Committee, said it was a great day for the Region. "Council and staff have worked hard to get to this stage and we're now one giant step closer to starting construction this summer," he said. "We're also delighted to partner with GrandLinq and we look forward to working closely with them to deliver ION on-time and onbudget." Highlights of the GrandLinq proposal include:
The capital cost of the proposal is consistent with the capital cost estimate, and can be accommodated within the ION project capital budget of $818 million.
Projected operating, maintenance, lifecycle and financing costs can all be accommodated within the Region's approved funding strategy. Based on the GrandLinq proposal, the rapid transit project remains on-time, on budget and the costs remain affordable based on the Region's approved funding strategy.
GrandLinq Costs There are two components to the overall cost of ION: capital costs, and operations and maintenance costs. GrandLinq's total capital cost is $593 million, including net HST. This includes $532 million funded from the LRT project budget of $818 million and $61 million from intersecting Public Infrastructure Works projects. These projects are being completed as part of the GrandLinq proposal, but are being funded from sources other than ION. They were planned and budgeted for and would have been implemented regardless of ION. They include: King Street and Northfield Drive rehabilitation and reconstruction; the underpass on King Street and the railway crossing near Victoria; rehabilitation and reconstruction of King Street (Victoria Street to Union Street). GrandLinq's annual operations and maintenance cost for 30 years includes:
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Operations ($4 million, plus HST and inflation); Maintenance ($4.5 million, plus HST and inflation); Lifecycle (average $8.7 million, plus HST and inflation); Financing ($11 million, plus HST); Insurance ($1.7 million, plus applicable taxes).
Operations and maintenance, financing, lifecycle and Region costs (such as electricity) will be funded by transit fare revenue and an annual 1.2 per cent tax increase (for seven years, starting 2012) as approved by Council in 2011. This 1.2 per cent property tax increase is being offset by other property tax reductions. As a result, the annual net property tax increase for ION will be an average of 0.7 per cent, or approximately $11 per year on the average household. Next Steps: Final Project Agreement The Final Project Agreement with GrandLinq is expected to be signed by early May, with ION Stage 1 LRT construction set to begin shortly thereafter. The agreement is structured to ensure that the Region's interests are protected throughout the entire period, from the start of construction to the end of the operations and maintenance terms.
collect all fare revenue and monitor the performance of GrandLinq to ensure all service requirements are being met. GrandLinq will take ION Stage 1 LRT to final design, build ION Stage 1 LRT and operate and maintain the service between Kitchener and Waterloo, consistent with the Region's performance requirements.
Community Soundbite "My husband and I are seniors who have moved from the suburbs to Uptown Waterloo. We have downsized to one car. We are definitely in favour of the light rail and in fact we are eager for it to be completed and will definitely use it. We need to build for the future and not listen to those who wish to remain in the past. Some people may never want to leave their cars, but they do not speak for everyone. I can see that major development in our region is happening because we have committed to the light rail project. We must go forward." Barbara Thomas Waterloo
As part of the Project Agreement, the Region will own the ION LRT system, set fares and the frequency of the service, be responsible for customer service and system-wide integration,
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ION Connections ION connects to all types of transportation in the region, including roads, public transit, walking and cycling and this month the potential for further connectivity increased. While visiting the region, Premier Kathleen Wynne announced plans to bring full-day, twoway GO Train service between Waterloo Region and the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). The Province is making a number of enhancements to GO's Kitchener line that will result in improved service, shorter travel times and fewer delays for passengers. These improvements include upgrades to the rail corridor leading to faster travel times and the building of a new train layover facility. By the end of 2016 - in time for the launch of ION - Metrolinx expects to introduce these two additional morning and afternoon peak period trips between Waterloo Region and the GTA. ION passengers can take advantage of these additions by connecting with GO services at the King/Victoria Transit Hub, which also offers further links to public transit bound for Hamilton, London and Windsor.
ION In The News "Skeptics will say the trains won't come to Cambridge for years, if ever, anyway. But regional council agreed that, as soon as construction begins on the first phase of light rail, planning for the second phase, the Cambridge connection, begins." Waterloo Region Record March 15, 2014
The ION Story Have you read The ION Story? This document was published on the ION website last month and contains 26 pages of easy to access information on a wide variety of topics, ranging from the history of the project - which stretches back to 1976 - to detailed information on ION vehicles and operations. Over the next 20 years, the Province of Ontario expects the region to attract 200,000 new residents - the equivalent of adding another Kitchener to Waterloo Region. Where will these new residents live? And, how will they get around our community? The ION story answers these questions and explains how the Region - in partnership with the Province - is encouraging development and growth within existing urban areas. By focusing development and investment in the core, Waterloo Region can build up, instead of out. This will limit urban sprawl and protect our environment.
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The ION story also focuses on future investment in transportation and highlights that over the next 10 years, Waterloo Region will spend more than $200 million on major road expansion and improvement. This includes the recent approval of the River Road extension (approximately $72 million), Franklin Boulevard road widening and improvements (approximately $50 million) and South Boundary Road extension in Cambridge (approximately $17 million). By continuing to invest in roads throughout our community, the Region recognizes that road improvements, in combination with ION, provide greater connectivity, quality and choice for all residents - no matter what their transportation choice. Click this link to access The ION Story http://bit.ly/1ivzuX0
Community Soundbite "As someone who drives regularly, I am not bothered by losing a lane on a major road if it means more transit users and better infrastructure in our community." Tiffany Cooper Kitchener
ION Spotlight: Cedar Stop
On the edge of Kitchener's downtown, the Cedar Street stop consists of one centre platform on Charles Street, east of Cedar. It will serve many destinations within easy walking distance of the platform. ION passengers will use Cedar as the main access point to the Kitchener Market, with this popular destination just a short stroll from the stop. Cedar will also serve as the local stop for several adjoining residential areas, including the established Cameron Heights neighbourhood, which is less than five minutes away by foot, while Cameron Heights Collegiate Institute is also nearby and serves more than 1,800 students from across the Region of Waterloo. As the 2017 launch of ION approaches, the area around Cedar will continue to evolve as the community changes and the Region plans for ION.
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The future brings numerous exciting possibilities for the area surrounding Cedar, as this location has a high potential for redevelopment. By 2017, underutilized parcels in the area particularly along Charles and Madison - are expected to be targeted for office and retail development that will appeal to some of the 200,000 new residents predicted to move to the region in the next decade and a half.
About ION ION, the Region’s rapid transit service, as approved by Council in June 2011, is a visionary plan that will fundamentally shape our community for the future by bringing LRT in two stages.
ION timeline May 2014: Project Agreement finalized with GrandLinq Summer 2014: ION adapted Bus Rapid Transit construction Summer 2014: Start of ION Stage 1 LRT construction Spring 2015: ION aBRT service begins Fall 2017: Start of ION LRT service
Stage 1, which is expected to open in 2017, includes a 19 km LRT route from Conestoga Mall to Fairview Park Mall, with stops in Downtown Kitchener, Grand River Hospital, UpTown Waterloo, both Universities and Waterloo Park. It also features a 17 km route of adapted Bus Rapid Transit (aBRT) from Fairview Park Mall to the Ainslie Street Terminal, with four stops along Hespeler Road. The aBRT service will begin operating in early 2015. Stage 2 will convert the aBRT line to LRT, creating a seamless 37 km ION service of 23 stops between Cambridge and Waterloo.
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