Farmer's Market Trail

The construction of multi-use-paths and related active transportation infrastructure on several city streets for this project has been approved, and a contractor has been retained to do the work for the city. These paths will help connect people to key destinations such as ION stations, places of employment and link users to the broader active transportation network. Weather permitting, we expect construction to happen between July and October, 2021. A short section of the Farmers Market Trail at the Weber Street intersection will be completed in 2022. This intersection will be reconfigured by the Region of Waterloo to accommodate the new Weber Street design.

The multi-use-paths (MUP), will look similar to the one pictured.

Farmers Market Trail

The existing east side sidewalk along Parkside Drive will be replaced by a wider asphalt multi-use-path between Bearinger Road and Northfield Drive. Pedestrian scale lighting will be installed on this side of the street.

Phillip Street

A new asphalt multi-use-path will be constructed on the east side of Phillip Street between Columbia Street and Albert Street. Pedestrian refuge islands will also be installed to assist in crossing the street.

Conestogo Road

A new asphalt multi-use-path will be constructed on the west side of Conestogo Road between Northfield Drive and Bauer Place. Painted on-road bike lanes will also be installed up to King Street.

Bauer Place

A new asphalt multi-use-path will be constructed right up Bauer Place between Conestoga Road and King Street.

In late 2016, the Region of Waterloo and City of Waterloo began working together to realign the Great Trail (formerly the Trans Canada Trail) with existing trail networks, specifically to better connect our urban and rural trail system between St. Jacob’s Farmers Market in Woolwich Township and the Research & Technology Park in Waterloo. The current Great Trail route in north Waterloo combines on and off-road routes that generally follow Westmount and Benjamin Roads. The improved alignment is a more direct connection, generally following the ION route and Waterloo Spur Line. The improved alignment is identified in the Regional Cycling Master Plan and City of Waterloo Transportation Master Plan (2011). The trail will connect people to the ION system, Waterloo Central Railway and the market area, and will benefit residents, commuters and tourists using active transportation modes of travel.

The project has been broken out into two distinct portions:

Stage 1: connecting Farmers Market Road and Northfield Drive. This is a Region of Waterloo project. This part of the trail is within the region-owned railway corridor between Farmers Market Road and Northfield Drive, connecting directly to Northfield ION Station at the existing signalized crossing. Working in collaboration with the City of Waterloo and the Township of Woolwich, the region consulted with citizens, business owners and other local stakeholders. In response to considerable public feedback and requests, the trail will be illuminated and maintained year-round. Construction of Stage 1 was approved for funding through the federal government's Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan, and approved by regional council in June 2020 and construction is expected to begin in 2021.

Stage 2: connecting Northfield Drive (Northfield ION Station) to Research and Technology Park. This is the current project the city is working on, with the planned construction of a multi-use trail along Parkside Drive to extend the Farmer's Market Trail from Northfield Drive to Research and Technology ION Station and the existing Laurel Trail. Once complete, Stages 1 and 2 of the Market Trail will serve as the realigned Trans-Canada (“Great Trail”) route to better connect transit and key destinations within our rural and urban communities.