KITCHENER — Kitchener council has given city staff the green light to buy the land needed for a long-awaited walkway across the LRT tracks near Fairway Road.

The walkway, to be built later this year, will run between 259 Traynor Ave. and 642 Fairway Rd. S., close to the Food Basics grocery store, a bank and liquor store, as well as other stores on Fairway.

Residents of the diverse, low-income Vanier-Traynor neighbourhood first raised the alarm about the need for a crossing to the shops and services on Fairway back in 2014.

The light rail transit corridor was fenced off in 2016, forcing people to take a 30-minute detour. The fence is continually breached and residents continue to cross the tracks, even though trains are now running along them every few minutes, at speeds of up to 70 km/h.

Matthew O'Neil, project manager at the Region of Waterloo, said he still hasn't got a firm cost estimate and timeline for the project but said it will be a level crossing with barriers, lights and bells that activate when a train is coming.

O'Neil said the level crossing is the most direct and convenient crossing for users, as well as being quicker and cheaper to build than an overhead walkway or underground tunnel.

cthompson@therecord.com

Twitter: @ThompsonRecord

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