In five years, ION light rail transformed Waterloo Region
ION light rail has become a symbol of the positive growth we can achieve with big-picture thinking. Waterloo Region celebrated a big milestone June 21, 2024, which marked five years since our light rail system launched.
When trains began rolling in 2019, ION became the spine of our transit network. We now have record ridership on ION and across our transit system. In total, ION has carried more than 19 million passengers.
ION has also spurred impressive growth, with high-rise residential buildings and new businesses along the tracks.
ION’s impact, by the numbers:
- Almost $5 billion in new development in the central transit corridor
- 18,961 residential units constructed since 2011 in the central transit corridor. 91 per cent of residential construction has been high density
- 21 per cent of Waterloo Region residents now live in the central transit corridor, as of 2023
- 17 per cent of new construction value in 2022 was within the central transit corridor. Permits were issued for 1,093 new residential units and 79,000 square feet of new institutional, commercial and industrial floor space
- In 2022 alone, there were seven residential building permits worth at least $10 million
- Municipal taxes from properties in the central transit corridor were estimated at $234 million in 2022. That’s 75 per cent higher than in 2011. This helps us fund essential services across our community
Learn more about how building ION led to positive growth:
How ION helps us create community
Public transit is for everyone. It helps people get where they need to go in Waterloo Region, whether for work, entertainment, shopping or errands.
Building ION made it easier than ever for people to travel in an accessible, affordable, and environmentally-friendly way.
When we make these smart investments in our community, people benefit – now and for many years into the future. Learn more how ION helps bring people together:
ION expansion on the horizon
ION’s story is not done. Right now, we have completed half of our LRT vision. The growth we’ve seen over the last five years will continue as we extend the ION system into Cambridge with Stage 2.
Region of Waterloo staff are working now, preparing the business case to connect ION from Fairway Station in Kitchener down to Ainslie Street in Cambridge. Waterloo Region is the fastest–growing community in Canada; we need a first-class transit system like ION to avoid sprawl, meet our climate goals, and get residents where they need to go.
Learn more about how ION’s arrival in Cambridge will continue to benefit our whole community:
