CAMBRIDGE — Cambridge residents want a light rail stop in Preston and their properties protected from construction impacts, according to a recently released summary of public feedback.

More than 120 people attended two Region of Waterloo public consultation centres in November to review and respond to several route options for the light rail extension.

"I think 100 people on something like this that may be in the distant future is exceptional to be quite honest and so is the interest in public transportation," Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig said.

A few themes emerged in the more than 40 comment sheets residents filled out, including:

• Include a stop in Preston (which is part of the 2011 endorsed route).

• Respect heritage in downtown Galt.

• Don't interfere with wetlands and rivers.

• Consider a connection with the Region of Waterloo International Airport.

Paula Sawicki, the region's manager of rapid transit co-ordination, said concern about impacts to existing homes, natural areas and businesses was another theme from the consultation.

Those will be considered as staff develop a preferred route.

"We're trying to create quantifiable evaluation criteria to see is there's a difference between some of these routes and then we're looking at high level costs as well," she said.

Sawicki said it's too soon to give a cost estimate.

Regional Coun. Karl Kiefer, who represents Cambridge, said whatever the price is he's hopeful the province will step up with funding.

"There's still that work in progress in terms of trying to get them to commit to some funding so this thing can move along a little faster," he said.

Other items that will be considered include the number of employment centres, future residential developments and impact on signalized intersections along each route.

Sawicki said some of the engineering and other challenges on different route options can be expensive. They include:

• Light rail vehicles crossing a heavily used rail track at grade. A grade separation would be needed in the area of Eagle Street and the main Canadian Pacific Railway Line from Toyota, as well as other areas.

• Proposed Canadian Pacific Rail/light rail crossings are close to existing intersections at River Road, Riverbank Drive and Fountain Street.

Citizens were asked to give feedback on four potential alternatives to the route approved for the project in 2011, which would travel from Fairway Road to the Canadian Pacific Waterloo Subdivision rail line, along the rail line to Eagle Street, on to Hespeler Road to Water Street, down to Bruce Street and then along Ainslie Street to the transit terminal.

Staff didn't propose changes for the central section along Hespeler Road from Eagle Street/Pinebush Road to the Delta intersection. They did suggest alternatives to the Kitchener/North Cambridge section and South Cambridge.

The options are roughly mapped, but not all of the details have been worked out.

•For Kitchener/North Cambridge, trains would travel Fairway Road to Maple Grove Road, to Speedsville Road to Eagle Street, and connect to Hespeler Road at Pinebush Road.

•For South Cambridge, trains would travel from the Ainslie Street Transit Terminal up Beverley Street, or in the vicinity of Beverley and along Dundas to Hespeler Road; alternatively, they would go up Ainslie Street, to Water, through the Delta and on to Hespeler Road.

•For each of the southern options, there are possibilities for a transit hub, including near Beverley Street or further north near the Canadian Pacific Rail line.

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While the region expects to have light rail trains up and running between Waterloo and Fairview Park mall in Kitchener in late 2017, Cambridge has express buses for now.

The existing bus express route runs between the Ainslie Street terminal and Fairview Park mall along Hespeler Road, Highway 401 and Highway 8. It continues from Fairview Park to Conestoga Mall as the 200 iXpress. Stops are at the Ainslie terminal, along Hespeler at the Delta, Can-Amera Parkway, Cambridge Centre, Pinebush Road, Sportsworld and Fairview Park mall.

During the next few months, staff will prepare a preferred route that considers the public feedback. It will be presented at a public consultation centre in September, with approval of a route expected from regional council after that.

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