Ontario commits provincial funds to GO Transit expansion

Written by Jenifer Nunez, assistant editor
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Through its Moving Ontario Forward plan, the Ontario government is investing in improvements across the GO Transit network to increase transit ridership, reduce travel times, manage congestion, connect people to jobs and improve the economy.

 

Funding through Moving Ontario Forward will also be used to build priority rapid transit projects that will connect to GO Transit and other systems across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

On April 16, 2015, Ontario moved ahead with its plan to unlock the value of public assets, providing Ontario with approximately CA$4 billion (US$3.2 billion), which will go to Trillium Trust, where every dollar is set to build new transit and other priority infrastructure projects through Moving Ontario Forward.

Together with other asset optimization strategies, this would provide Ontario with CA$5.7 billion (US$4.6 billion). This increases Ontario’s total commitment to Moving Ontario Forward from CA$29 billion (US$23 billion) to CA$31.5 billion (US$25.7 billion). This is part of the province’s plan to invest more than CA$130 billion (US$106 billion) over 10 years in public infrastructure, which represents the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario’s history.

The government is working with Metrolinx to bring Regional Express Rail to the GO rail network. Regional Express Rail is the province’s 10-year initiative that will give people throughout the GTHA new travel options, with faster and more frequent GO rail service and electrification on core segments of the GO rail network.

Construction of a new, second track on a section of GO Transit’s Barrie line is part of the broader Regional Express Rail initiative. Grading and bridge and culvert work is already underway on this second track, with construction expected to be complete in 2017.

Regional Express Rail will allow for 15-minute two-way, all-day service to Aurora and new two-way hourly service to Barrie during the midday, evenings and weekends. The new six-kilometer (3.7-mile) section of track will run adjacent to the existing track between York University GO Station and Rutherford GO Station.

Currently, there are 70 weekly trips on the Barrie line; over the next five years, that number will grow to more than 200. Over the next 10 years, weekly trips across the entire GO rail network will grow from approximately 1,500 trips to nearly 6,000.

The Moving Ontario Forward plan will make CA$31.5 billion (US$25.7 billion) available over the next 10 years for investments in priority infrastructure projects across the province and is expected to support over 20,000 jobs per year, on average, in construction and related industries.

Under Moving Ontario Forward, around CA$16 billion (US$13 billion) is being allocated to projects in the GTHA. Transit expansion and improvement projects already underway in the GTHA include Union Pearson Express, Eglinton Crosstown LRT, York VIVA Bus Rapid Transit and Union Station Revitalization.

Adding the second track on the Barrie line will cost approximately $17.4 million (US$14.2 million). Planning and design work is also underway to bring more train trips and two-way service to the rest of the Barrie corridor.

“The government is expanding access to transit and building the necessary infrastructure for now and for the future. People using the Barrie GO corridor will benefit from more train trips and future two-way service. This is further proof of our government’s commitment to making the daily commute and quality of life better for Ontario families,” explained Steven Del Duca, Ontario’s minister of Transportation.

 

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