KITCHENER - The region is going back to the drawing board on the route of a new multi-use trail connecting the Iron Horse Trail to the future transit hub in downtown Kitchener.

When the route recommended by Waterloo Region staff was presented to a council committee on Tuesday, several councillors and delegates balked at the indirect path.

"We would never build a road for cars like this and expect them to go meandering through several neighbourhoods," said Kitchener Mayor Berry Vrbanovic. "And so I'm struggling why we think it's OK to build a road like this for cyclists and pedestrians."

The challenge is that part of the project is being funded by the federal and provincial governments under the public transit infrastructure fund, with a looming deadline of March 31, 2018. The recommended route would cost $2 million.

The preferred route is much more direct, but would require acquiring land from CN or private owners or waiting for development of the area.

"It's not practical or feasible in the short term," said Steve van De Keere, the region's transportation director.

He added that the team agreed the first alternative was the quickest and most direct "and would be used very much so if it was to be put in place."

The first route would go straight from the Iron Horse Trail along a CN Railway line to the future hub at King Street and Victoria Street.

The recommended "hybrid" route that combines two alternatives takes several twists and turns, travelling alongside roads and the railway. It goes through Raddatz Park, along a boulevard on Waverly Road, through Cherry Park, along a boulevard on Park Street and then along the Goderich-Exeter Railway.

The entire length of the route would be off-road, which was important to many respondents during public consultations held in June.

Based on comments received, the project team developed the hybrid alternative unveiled Tuesday.

"My concern here is we end up building something that, quite frankly, is not going to be overly well received and overly utilized by the community," Vrbanovic said.

Three delegations spoke about the recommended route, encouraging councillors and staff to take more time to reconsider the route.

"We can appreciate that it tries to keep people and traffic as separate as possible. We fear that mashing together these two options doesn't actually serve the intended purpose of the project to conveniently connect the Iron Horse Trail with the future transit hub," said Mike Boos, executive committee member of the Tri-Cities Transport Action Group.

"We don't know why a pedestrian would choose this circuitous route."

Boos said the route should be direct, convenient and safe, not fragmented and twisted.

"This Frankenstein option doesn't meet the broader goals of the project and we think it might actually stand in the way of fulfilling them in the long run," he said.

The report presented to council noted that the first alternative is favoured as a long-term goal as it's the most direct and entirely off-road.

But councillors struggled with giving the OK to the short-term solution to meet the deadline for government funding.

"I think our staff have done a pretty good job of coming up with an alternative that time and money has dictated," said Coun. Geoff Lorentz. However, he added that "I would rather do this once and do it right. If it costs us a little more, it costs us a little more."

Coun. Sean Stickland said the proposed route is not a perfect solution, but the infrastructure is needed and the government investment is there.

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"If we wanted to change the route, there's hurdles," Strickland said. "I support the recommendation, as imperfect as it may be."

Councillors agreed to a motion to defer the issue to September for staff to look at the route more closely and consult with the railways.

"This is a very important trail for the City of Kitchener and all we're asking for is a little bit more time," Lorentz said.