Doug Spooner, director of transit services for the Region of Waterloo, stands at King Street and University Avenue in Waterloo in a new transit canopy. The canopy is pedestrian-friendly, with phone chargers and heating.
Doug Spooner, director of transit services for the Region of Waterloo, stands at King Street and University Avenue in Waterloo in a new transit canopy. The canopy is pedestrian-friendly, with phone chargers and heating.
WATERLOO — A new pedestrian-friendly transit canopy will open this fall at one of the busiest corners in Waterloo Region.
“It’s the gateway into uptown Waterloo at University Avenue. It is now one of the busiest pedestrian intersections that we have in the region,” Doug Spooner, director of transit services, said in an interview Monday.
The 30-metre (100-foot) canopy at the corner of King Street and University Avenue is next to Wilfrid Laurier University. The project is a partnership between the region, the university, the City of Waterloo and the Uptown Waterloo Business Improvement Area.
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“It makes some space and it makes our transit users feel valued,” Spooner said. “The other thing it does is it offers some serious protection from weather and elements.”
The pedestrian plaza features streetscape enhancements including improved lighting, overhead heating, security cameras, seating areas made of synthetic wood and a sure-to-please student feature: USB and phone charging outlets. The shelter also offers waiting areas with tables that people can stand around.
“We are trying to add a bit of elegance to that waiting-for-transit experience, because we do have a large number of both students and commuters who ride from and to this intersection,” Spooner said.
In addition to pedestrians, the transit canopy is appealing to cyclists, with cycling lanes running through the plaza; bike parking will also be offered.
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The enhanced bus shelter is big enough to handle up to three busloads of riders, Spooner said.
“We think this is a good connector for this side of the universities and the Ion,” he said.
A similar transit canopy was installed at the University of Waterloo last year, he said.
A banner with the Laurier name will also be installed at the top of the canopy, acting as an identification marker, Spooner said.
The region may consider adding more such canopies, which improve the transit experience, he said. The cost of the canopy at King and University was $680,000.
“It becomes a bit more of a complete intersection.”
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