Commuters deserve federal support

This week, we marked the beginning of a new era of collaboration between the government of Ontario and the city of Toronto.

Finally, after years of discussion, our governments are on the cusp of endorsing one single unified plan for subway expansion in Toronto.

Commuters in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area ( GTHA) need faster, better transit. This region powers the economy of Ontario, an economy that is once again becoming the engine of Canada. With that said, people are idling on highways, jammed on subway platforms or stuck in neighbourhoods without access to rapid transit.

Since being elected, our government has committed to building better, faster and more efficient transit so that the people of the GTHA can get where they need to go conveniently and on time.

Outside the City of Toronto, transit expansion is happening now.

Since last year, GO Rail service increased 21 per cent from nearly 2,000 trips per week to almost 2,400 trips per week.

In the past year, our government has doubled service to and from Kitchener along the Innovation Corridor.

We are now building toward a massive GO Rail expansion that will bring 15- minute service to our whole network. This year, the province of Ontario will spend more than $ 2 billion directly on construction to support GO Rail expansion.

Ontario is also building and procuring massive LRT projects in Mississauga, Brampton, Toronto and Hamilton.

While transit expansion is finally happening across the GTHA, commuters will not be satisfied until governments can end political squabbling and demonstrate they are working together to build new subways in Toronto.

Subway construction is a top priority for commuters and Premier Doug Ford. In April, the premier unveiled our plan to build four new or expanded subway lines: the brand- new Ontario Line; the Yonge North Subway Extension; the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension; and the critical three- stop Scarborough Subway Extension.

It is an ambitious plan, but one that is attainable. In my first 100 days as Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, I found a willing municipal partner in the City of Toronto that shares our goal of better, faster transit.

This week, commuters heard strong commitments from the federal parties to Toronto’s subway plan.

In Canada, the federal government’s share of public transit infrastructure is 40 per cent.

Yesterday, I called on parties vying to form the next federal government to assume the full 40 per cent of the cost of Toronto’s four priority subway projects.

Commuters are voters. This weekend, commuters deserve to hear a full 40 per cent funding commitment from each party seeking to form the next federal government.

We are building a truly integrated, efficient, and modern transit network across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Commuters deserve nothing less than the full support of our next federal government. The time to build is now.