MISSISSAUGA
BUS RAPID TRANSIT KEEPS MOVING FORWARD
MISSISSAUGA
— The Mississauga bus rapid transit (BRT) project continued to move
forward today with the official signing of contribution agreements between
the Government of Canada, the City of Mississauga, GO Transit and the
Province of Ontario.
The
agreements were signed at the Mississauga Transit garage by the Honourable
Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for the
Greater Toronto Area, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon,
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Jim Bradley,
Ontario Minister of Transportation; Her Worship Hazel McCallion,
Mayor of Mississauga; and Peter Smith, Chairman of GO Transit.
"The
agreements signed today demonstrate our government's unwavering commitment
to the people of Mississauga by providing them with a new transit
option," said Minister Flaherty. "Our long-term
transportation action plan, FLOW,
will reduce traffic congestion and improve efficiency while reducing
greenhouse gas emissions throughout the Greater Toronto Area (GTA)."
"Today
brings us another step closer to delivering rapid transit across the
region," said Minister Bradley. "The Mississauga
BRT
will provide better public transit service, combat congestion and provide
more frequent and accessible service for commuters."
"The
signing of this agreement represents a key milestone in the development of
Mississauga's rapid transit program," said Mayor McCallion.
"The Mississauga bus rapid transit project will help people move
through Mississauga quickly, efficiently and safely by getting people out
of their cars and onto public transit."
"These
investments are a great example of co-operation by all levels of
government," said Mr. Smith. "GO will keep working with
Mississauga to reduce traffic congestion and give people a fast and
convenient way to go by transit."
"Public
transit is a priority for the Government of Canada," said Minister Cannon.
"Projects such as this rapid transit system will also help increase
economic growth and improve the quality of life of residents in one of the
fastest growing areas in Canada."
FLOW
is an initiative of the Government of Canada designed to reduce traffic
congestion, improve the environment and strengthen the economy in the
GTA.
FLOW
will help create a seamless transportation system across the
GTA
— keeping people, traffic and goods
FLOWing
in the largest metropolitan area in Canada.
Other
transit projects included in the
FLOW
action plan are the construction of a bus rapid transit system along
Brampton's key transportation corridors; the extension of the Spadina
subway line to Vaughan Corporate Centre; the enhancement of the York VIVA
rapid transit system; and funding for the development of a long-term
transit strategy in the Regional Municipality of Durham.
The
federal contribution of $83 million to the City of Mississauga and GO Transit
for the bus rapid transit project comes from the Canada Strategic
Infrastructure Fund, which supports large-scale strategic infrastructure
projects that improve quality of life and further economic growth.
As
federal funding is reimbursement-based, funds will be transferred once the
agreement is signed, eligible costs have been incurred and all federal
requirements have been satisfied.
The
Province of Ontario's contribution of $113 million includes $65 million
to Mississauga, disbursed in 2006 to support this project and an
additional $48 million to GO Transit for its portion of the
project.
The
City of Mississauga and GO Transit will be responsible for the
remainder of the project costs. Construction of the project is expected to
be complete by 2012.
A
backgrounder
with further information on the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund,
FLOW,
the City of Mississauga and the Province of Ontario is attached.
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Contacts:
Karine
White
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities,
Ottawa
613-991-0700
Nicole Lippa-Gasparro
Press Secretary
Office of the Ontario Minister of Transportation, Toronto
416-327-1815
Media
Relations
Communications
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
Bob
Nichols
Communications Branch
Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Toronto
416-327-1158
Ivana
Di Millo
Director, Communications
City of Mississauga
905-615-3200, ext. 5047
Edmund Shea
GO Transit
416-869-3600, ext. 5328
Transport
Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca.
Subscribe to news releases and speeches at
www.tc.gc.ca/listserv/
and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
This
news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons with
visual disabilities.
BACKGROUNDER
CANADA
STRATEGIC INFRASTRUCTURE FUND
The
federal funding for this project is allocated from the Canada Strategic
Infrastructure Fund (CSIF). Through the fund, the Government of Canada
works with provincial, territorial and municipal governments, as well as
with the private sector, to meet strategic infrastructure needs throughout
the country. CSIF
supports large-scale strategic infrastructure projects that improve
quality of life and further economic growth.
FLOW
FLOW,
the Government of Canada's transportation action plan for the Greater
Toronto Area (GTA), is designed to reduce congestion, cut commute times,
help clear the air and drive the economy in the
GTA.
It
consists of key transportation infrastructure projects that are being
funded and built in the short to medium term. In most cases, the projects
are being cost-shared by the three levels of government — federal,
provincial and municipal.
The
projects were selected following consultations with the Province of
Ontario, mayors in the
GTA,
regional chairs, municipal councillors and various community groups.
This
plan was developed to help enhance the quality of life for residents and
help businesses increase efficiency by keeping people, traffic and goods
FLOWing
in the largest metropolitan area in Canada.
Federal
funding is contingent on the completion of a due diligence review, the
negotiation and signing of a contribution agreement and completion of any
applicable federal environmental assessments required under the
Canadian
Environmental Assessment Act.
The
FLOW
transit infrastructure projects include the following:
Brampton
AcceleRide
This
project involves the construction of a bus rapid transit system along
Brampton's key transportation corridors to link the downtown to the north
and west areas of the city, as well as to improve connections with the
City of Mississauga, the Regional Municipality of York and the City of
Toronto.
The
Government of Canada has committed up to $95 million, while the
Province of Ontario has already provided $95 million. The City of
Brampton will be responsible for the remainder of the project costs.
The
project will be constructed in two phases; the first is expected to be
complete by 2010, with ultimate completion anticipated in 2021.
Mississauga
Bus Rapid Transit (BRT)
The
project involves the construction of an east-west busway across the City
of Mississauga between Winston Churchill Boulevard and Renforth Drive.
This project will improve local and inter-regional bus operations across
the City of Mississauga. A total of 11 stations will be constructed along
the route, with one existing station being incorporated into the busway.
The
Government of Canada has committed up to $83 million to the project.
The Province of Ontario has provided the City of Mississauga with $65 million
to support the project and has committed to providing an additional $48 million
to GO Transit. The City of Mississauga and GO Transit will be
responsible for the remainder of the project costs.
The
project is expected to be complete by 2012.
Toronto-York
Spadina Subway Extension
The
existing Spadina subway line will be extended by 8.6 kilometres
through York University to the Vaughan Corporate Centre.
The
Government of Canada is committing up to $697 million towards the
eligible project costs. The Province of Ontario has already contributed
$870 million to a trust for this project. The City of Toronto and
Regional Municipality of York previously committed their contributions and
will be responsible for the remainder of the project costs.
Federal
funding commitments to this project are contingent upon the completion of
a due diligence review, the negotiation of a contribution agreement and
the proponent's adherence to conditions put forth by the Minister of
Finance and the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.
In
addition to funding from all three levels of government, the City of
Toronto and the Regional Municipality of York will also be exploring
opportunities for alternative financing and procurement, such as
public-private partnerships.
The
project is expected to be complete by 2015.
York
Region VIVA Phase 2, Part 1
The
VIVA rapid transit system will be enhanced through the construction of
dedicated bus rapid transit systems along Yonge Street, from the Finch
subway station to the Richmond Hill Centre, and along Highway 7, from the
Markham Centre to Yonge Street.
The
Government of Canada is committing up to $85 million towards eligible
project costs. The Province of Ontario has also committed $85 million
to this project.
The
project is expected to be complete by 2010.
Durham
Region Long-Term Transit Strategy
Funding
will be provided to the Regional Municipality of Durham to help it further
refine its transit service strategy and bus rapid transit implementation
plans. This will include demonstrating how best to support anticipated
urban growth, assess transit options and their integration with other
services, develop detailed ridership projections and conduct cost-benefit
analyses.
The
Government of Canada is committing up to $2.5 million and the
Province of Ontario is also committing up to $2.5 million.
The
development of this strategy is expected to start this year.
Other
Projects
FLOW
also includes three highway projects for which the Province of Ontario
will determine the appropriate financing and delivery.
Those
projects include:
·
the
extension of Highway 407 east to Highway 35/115;
·
the
widening of Highway 7 in Durham Region; and
·
the
extension of Highway 404.
THE
CITY OF MISSISSAUGA
Mississauga
is Canada's sixth-largest city with a population of more than 700,000.
With well-established infrastructure and state-of-the-art facilities, the
city is considered to be an employer of choice, delivering quality
municipal programs and services to its citizens. Mississauga is a dynamic,
diverse and progressive municipality known for its economic strength and
for being Canada's safest city.
The
Mississauga BRT
project will see the creation of a new busway and 11 stations along
the route, with one existing station being incorporated into the busway,
which will connect Winston Churchill Boulevard in the west to Renforth
Drive in the east. The busway will run along the Highway 402,
Eastgate Parkway and Eglinton Avenue corridors. The Mississauga BRT
project forms part of a planned Greater Toronto Area-wide (GTA-wide)
initiative to create a 100-km busway connecting municipalities from
Oakville to Pickering.
The
Mississauga BRT
project will complement and connect with local bus services and
interregional transit and subway systems, linking high-density development
and employment centres across Mississauga. Upon its implementation in
2012, the Mississauga
BRT
project will support extensive bus service for thousands of riders per
day, making it faster and easier to travel to, from and through
Mississauga and the
GTA.
THE
PROVINCE OF ONTARIO
The
Ontario government is tackling gridlock to build a strong and prosperous
economy by getting people onto public transit with record investments and
innovation.
MoveOntario
2020
MoveOntario
2020, the Province of Ontario's $17.5 billion rapid transit plan for
the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, will double the kilometers of new
and improved rapid transit, starting in 2008. MoveOntario 2020 investments
will create hundreds of jobs and remove 300 million car trips from
Ontario roads.
In
addition to record investments in public transit, the Ontario government
will invest $1.6 billion in GO Transit by 2010, including $530 million
to its capital and operating costs in 2007-2008.
Metrolinx
Metrolinx
(the Greater Toronto Transportation Authority), an agency created by the
Province of Ontario, will deliver a regional transportation plan to
fundamentally improve our quality of life in the Greater Toronto and
Hamilton Area (GTHA). Metrolinx is responsible for prioritizing and
implementing MoveOntario 2020. With a real focus on public transit, people
and businesses will be able to move more easily across the
GTHA,
making cities more liveable and the economy stronger, while protecting the
environment. Metrolinx is also developing a transportation investment
strategy and rolling five-year capital plan for the
GTHA.
Picture
and Caption
February
21, 2008 - Mississauga. (From
right to left) Federal Minister of
Finance and Minister Responsible for the GTA (the
Hon. Jim Flaherty), Go
Transit Chairman (Peter Smith), Mayor
of Mississauga (Her Worship Hazel
McCallion), MP for Mississauga Streetsville (Wajid
Khan), and Ontario’s Minister of
Transportation (Jim Bradley).
*Picture
courtesy of Ingrid Pringle, Office of the Minister of Finance.
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