Breslau GO station plan receives formal backing from region as Metrolinx moves forward

BRESLAU IS ONE STEP closer to housing a new GO Transit station, after Waterloo Region council last week endorsed the recommendation by Metrolinx to build the station at a Greenhouse Road location.

The project has been in the works for a while, as the site was chosen in 2009.

Woolwich Mayor Sandy Shantz says extending GO Transit services through this Breslau station is important for Woolwich and the region for a number of reasons.

“I think most importantly it’s a connecting place between Toronto and Kitchener. It’s a good location, it’s close to Cambridge, it’s close to Kitchener, it’s fairly close to Waterloo. It’s in a new area that’s going to be developing more as time goes on,” Shantz said.

The township engaged in public consultations with residents as part of the Breslau secondary plan process and she says they didn’t receive any opposition to building the GO station.

“Right now the location is in a subdivision that isn’t developed yet so it’s not something that’s affecting people in terms of location, where

they are. For the last 10 years there’s been a number of discussions on where it should be and how it should be. Most recently, I really haven’t had much in the way of input from the people in Breslau,” Shantz said.

The station is part of the provincial government’s plan to create two-way all-day GO Transit along the Kitchener-Toronto corridor.

Both Kitchener-Conestoga MP Harold Albrecht and MPP Michael Harris have been vocal about the lack of progress on making the station a reality and the need for it in the region.

“I think the connection, a good, reliable transport between Toronto and Kitchener-Waterloo is really key going forward to reducing traffic on the 401 and just getting a good working relationship with companies that want to establish themselves in either municipality. I think it’ll be a big part of enhancing the prosperity of the whole region,” Shantz said.

Regional council also requested that the Ministry of Transportation and Metrolinx fully fund all costs associated with the new GO station as part of the Regional Express Rail 10 year program. The township and the region will participate in a working group with Metrolinx to develop a work plan to advance the station, but Shantz says it is too early to know what that will look like.

The next step will be to define the station scope and site plan. There is still no date set for when construction will begin or when the station will be completed by.

Alex Burke, senior advisor with Metrolinx said in an email that the agency requested municipalities where the recommended stations are located provide resolutions to Metrolinx by Nov. 30, indicating their agreement to the proposed locations.

Once the recommended new stations are confirmed next steps are business case updates on recommended sites as required, beginning the Transit Project Assessment Process (TPAP) and/or environmental assessments, and design works.

The Breslau station will be built as a part of the 10-year GO Regional Express Rail (RER) program upgrades.