City of Kitchener supports more Toronto trains, high speed or not
City of Kitchener officials say they want better transit between Kitchener and Toronto, regardless of whether it is high speed or not.
"Everybody's dream is high speed. If you've travelled in Germany, you know that you can get from Munich to Augsburg in 20 minutes and it's just fantastic," said Rod Regier, executive director of economic development for the city.
"It's an aspiration. I think right now, from a practical point of view, we would take better transit."
Regier said improving transit between Kitchener and Toronto is important to reduce friction between the two economies.
"The longer it takes to commute between these cities, the less efficient the labour market works," said Regier. "The less efficient business connections are made, the more difficult it is for business to grow."
Rail service to Toronto airport important for local business
On top of better rail service between Kitchener and Toronto, the Ontario government has promised to connect Waterloo Region to Pearson International Airport through high-speed rail service within 10 years.
Regier said this could be a reliable option for the business community who often have clients and colleagues coming to Waterloo Region from San Francisco, New York and Europe.
"The 401 between Pearson Airport and the Waterloo Region is a problem. It's unreliable, it's expensive and it's time consuming," said Regier.
"Getting people there and back is important to the health of our economy," he said.