Ontario reaches agreement on $7B transit funding plan for Toronto

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Prickly Curmudgeon Smiter
Jun 28, 2010
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Next elections are secured.

Blob Ford is attempting to roll in his grave.


Ontario reaches agreement on $7B transit funding plan for Toronto

The Ontario government and the City of Toronto have reached an agreement to fund $7 billion in transit projects, including funding for SmartTrack as well as light rail lines (LRT) on Eglinton West, Finch Avenue, Sheppard Avenue and the Eglinton Crosstown.

This past summer, the city manager was directed by council to negotiate an agreement with the province on a cost sharing plan for the projects between the two levels of government.

A staff report released on Monday details a split cost for Mayor John Tory‘s SmartTrack project with the province contributing $3.7 billion, which includes upgrading 11 existing GO stations and the cost of building new Regional Express Rail (RER) stations at Spadina-Fort York and Bloor-Lansdowne.

“This agreement means that after years of talk, indecision and delay, we are actually getting on with building the transit Toronto residents so badly need, through a partnership with the Province that will mean faster timelines and lower costs,” Mayor Tory said in a statement Monday morning.

The report states the cost for the municipal portion of SmartTrack will be approved once the federal government settles its finances for the project.

The city has a provincially-imposed deadline of Nov. 30 to finalize funding arrangements for SmartTrack.

“The agreement builds on the province’s significant investment into Toronto including $3.7B for GO RER that will be the foundation for SmartTrack,” Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca said in a statement. “This is on top of the Province’s investment of more than $10B for Toronto transit, including the Toronto LRT projects, Scarborough Subway and the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension.”

The province also agreed to pay for 85 per cent of the cost of five new separated rail crossings, which the report said will enable more trains to travel through the city.

Ontario reaches agreement on $7B transit funding plan for Toronto - Toronto | Globalnews.ca