ION Phase 2 - Cambridge's Light Rail Transit

[SF22]

Some news today in the Record about Phase 2 and the upcoming business case - expected to be ready "end of 2025."

https://archive.is/VUc4R

The business case will now also consider several scenarios:

• the original full proposal to extend the Ion 18 kilometres from Fairway station in Kitchener to downtown Galt;
  
• a shorter route from Fairway to Pinebush Road for $2.9 billion,
  
• a mid-length route from Fairway to the Delta in Cambridge for $3.9 billion;
  
• a stand-alone Cambridge LRT from Preston to downtown Galt with a bus link to Fairway;
  
• bus rapid transit, where buses would travel from Fairway to downtown Galt on dedicated lanes and have traffic signal priority.
  

I've personally wondered about option 4 (assuming it still follows the original Hespeler Rd alignment) as a possible interim option, with a BRT link between Preston and Fairway. At this point, I'd be happy to even see a full BRT system. It would at least reserve the space for upgrading to rail in the future while also making Hespeler Rd a more livable space.

How could there be a separated Cambridge line? You'd have to build a second maintenance building in Cambridge somewhere, which would be another large land acquisition and then the cost to actually build the thing. I'd love to see the breakdown of cost on that option vs the original Cross-The-Grand plan.

"If approved, Phase 2 construction could start in 2032 and would likely take five or six years." So looking at 2037/38 as our best-case scenario, which is EIGHTEEN YEARS after the completion of Phase 1 (June 2019). Was there ever any indication that it would take so long? If they are serious about doing a Phase 3, I sincerely hope that we get started on the proposals long before Phase 2 is underway.