CAMBRIDGE DEBATES LRT EXPANSION
On Nov. 19, 2025, the Waterloo Regional Council officially approved the 17-kilometre extension of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) route to Cambridge, directly connecting the tri-cities.
The extension will involve new LRT stations in Sportsworld, Preston, Pinebush, Cambridge Centre Mall, Can-Amera Parkway, Delta Centre and Galt. Once complete, trains are expected to run every seven minutes, with a roughly 29-minute trip from Fairway Station to downtown Galt.
On Nov. 4, members of the Sustainability, Infrastructure and Development committee voted 15 to 1 in favour of full Stage 2 LRT extension, with Cambridge Mayor Jan Liggett the only member voting against.
“The council’s decision represents a major step in delivering the original vision for rapid transit, which was a continuous connection from Waterloo to Kitchener to Cambridge,” Karen Redman, Chair of the Region of Waterloo regional council, said.
“This will shape the future of Waterloo Region as a great place to live, work and play, and extend the benefits of Light Rail Transit to residents of Cambridge,” she said.
Some Cambridge councillors, however, raised concerns about the project. Helen Schwery, the ward one Cambridge city councillor, argued the project should have been put to a referendum.
“I am opposed to any large project that moves forward without proper and broad input from residents. […] The feedback I have heard, along with what other councillors and the mayor have heard, shows that many residents do not support this project,” Schwery said.
While a major survey of Waterloo Region residents found that 78 per cent of the 2,500 respondents were in favour of extending the LRT to downtown Cambridge, Schwery also questioned the survey’s veracity.
“The recent survey of 2,500 people carries limited weight, especially when only about half of the respondents were from Cambridge. A sample that small cannot reflect the views of a city our size,” Schwery said.
She argued the project funds would be better spent improving transit connections to nearby cities, such as Guelph, Mississauga and Toronto.
Other Cambridge councillors have a more favourable opinion of the expansion.
“The LRT is an unparalleled social and economic development creation machine. It’s an unparalleled tool to revitalize a city and take it into the future,” Scott Hamilton, ward seven Cambridge city councillor, said.
The impact of the LRT in Waterloo and Kitchener has been broadly positive. According to the Waterloo Region Council, Stage 1 LRT led to $5.25 billion in development along the Central Transit Corridor, with more than 22,000 new homes built near the corridor between 2011 and 2024.
Former councilor Rob Deutschmann previously noted that the LRT expansion could draw between $5 to 10 billion in private investment along the area, according to the Cambridge Chamber of Commerce estimates.
Plans for LRT extension to Cambridge goes back several years. LRT Stage 2 was officially announced in June 2019 but has since been subject to significant delays.
In 2024, Manager of Rapid Transit Coordination Matthew O’Neil said in an interview with Mike Farwell that he expects construction to begin in 2032 at the earliest. Regional staff must first secure full project funding from both the provincial and federal governments.
More details on the project can be found at the Engage Waterloo Region website.
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