Ontario provides funds to propel two subway projects forward

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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TTC

The province of Ontario is providing CA$205 million (US$160 million) to help advance work for the Yonge North Subway Extension and the proposed Relief Line to help manage congestion on the Yonge Line in the Toronto area.

 

The funds are part of the province’s Moving Ontario Forward plan, which is supporting public transit, transportation and priority infrastructure projects by investing CA$31.5 billion (US$24.5 billion). About CA$16 billion (12.4 billion) of this will be invested in priority rapid transit projects in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.

Ontario will be providing more than CA$55 million (US$43 million) to Metrolinx to work with the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), the Regional Municipality of York and York Region Rapid Transit Corporation to continue planning and design work on the Yonge North Subway Extension.

The proposed Yonge North Subway Extension would extend the Yonge Subway Line from the existing Finch Station to Highway 7 in Richmond Hill, giving residents and commuters more transit options when complete.

The Environmental Assessment for the Yonge North Subway Extension was approved in April 2009; an addendum to include an underground train storage facility and surface facilities was also approved in November 2014. Through earlier studies by York Region, it is projected that 58 million riders would use the extension annually by 2031.

Metrolinx will be receiving more than CA$150 million (US$117 million)to work with the TTC on advancing the planning and design work that will ensure the proposed Relief Line is shovel ready. The city of Toronto expects to complete its Relief Line Project Assessment Study in 2016.

The proposed Relief Line is a future rapid transit line that would connect downtown Toronto to the Bloor-Danforth Subway east of the Don River. It will assist in relieving crowding on the Yonge Subway line and the Bloor-Yonge interchange station, as well as provide riders with more travel options.

“Under our Moving Ontario Forward plan, our government is committed to providing accessible, modern transit infrastructure that will manage congestion, reduce commute times, create jobs and improve the quality of life for Ontarians,” explained Steven Del Duca, minister of Transportation.

Last week, Ontario committed more than CA$1 billion (US$779 million) toward the city of Ottawa’s Stage 2 LRT project, which will extend the existing O-Train Trillium Line to Riverside South.

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