Transit cash tap opens
Ottawa started to dole out funding for transit in five Ontario cities on Tuesday, with the bulk of the $688 million infusion going to Toronto ($500 million). Ottawa is next on the list at $156 million, while Waterloo, Barrie and Sudbury will receive about $30.6 million combined for 20 projects.
COOKIE JAR ?
The money is the first instalment of $1.49 billion earmarked for track upgrades, new buses and improvements and accessibility upgrades to stations. The funding the prime minister announced Tuesday can be used for up to half of the costs of an eligible project. It’s retroactive to April 1 to cover any costs cities have already incurred since then. “In communities across the province this investment will shorten commute times and make public transit more efficient and more inclusive,” said Justin Trudeau at a news conference in Barrie.
TORONTO’S SHARE
The $500 million set aside for Toronto is for projects approved and those the city has already started. It will be spent on installing elevators at more stations, adding more wheelchair accessible buses and streetcars, overhauling subway cars, improving signals and replacing tracks. Mayor John Tory said the transit system will be “faster, stronger, safer and more accessible. Good things happen when there is collaboration between all levels of government in this country,” he said at a news conference at St. Clair West subway station.