Governments of Canada and Ontario invest in public transit in the Ottawa Region
OTTAWA, Nov. 17, 2017 /CNW/ - Investing in public infrastructure supports efficient, affordable and sustainable transit services that help Canadians and their families get to work, school and essential services on time and back home safely at the end of a long day. The governments of Canada and Ontario are making investments that will help create well-paying jobs and grow the middle class now while building a strong foundation for a sustainable economic future.
Anita Vandenbeld, Member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, the Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure, and Mark Taylor, Deputy Mayor of the City of Ottawa, today announced two new projects funded through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF) that will benefit the residents of Ottawa. Today also marked a significant milestone with the recent delivery of new double decker buses also funded through PTIF.
Improvements will be made to OC Transpo's Pinecrest Garage that consists of repairing the aged concrete in the bus bay and upgrading the sidewalks and asphalt in the yard. Across town, a new multi-use pathway will be built to link OC Transpo's St-Laurent Station to the commercial district on the east side of St-Laurent Boulevard. The federal government is contributing more than $800,000 for these two projects, and the City of Ottawa will provide the balance of funding.
In addition, a project to upgrade a park and ride station in Russell has also been approved. Not only will the existing park and ride station be moved to a new, more convenient and accessible location, but it will offer ample parking and a bus shelter. The federal government is providing more than $28,000 and the Township of Russell will provide the balance of funding.
Also on site today were some of the 17 new high-capacity buses that have been purchased to expand the OC Transpo fleet and provide additional service capacity in growing areas of the city, including Orléans, Barrhaven and Kanata. The new double-decker buses, funded through PTIF, will increase capacity by approximately 950,000 additional customer-trips each year, starting in December 2017.
These investments are part of an agreement between Canada and Ontario for the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.
Quotes
"The Government of Canada recognizes how important affordable and efficient transit infrastructure is to growing the middle class and getting Canadians to work on time and back home quickly at the end of a long day. The Pinecrest Garage improvement project will make Ottawa a stronger, more inclusive and sustainable city, and contribute to ensuring that our communities remain among the best places in the world to live, work and raise a family."
Anita Vandenbeld, Member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"These investments will help make transit more convenient for everyone in our community, with better integration between our multi-use paths and the OC Transpo bus system. It's great to have federal and municipal partners who share our commitment to building transit infrastructure."
The Honourable Bob Chiarelli, Ontario Minister of Infrastructure
"The City of Ottawa is committed to making continuous improvements to our infrastructure and providing safe, reliable and efficient transit services that meet the needs of our growing communities. This important funding commitment demonstrates the progress we are making in Ottawa when all three level of government collaborate on sustainable transportation solutions."
His Worship Jim Watson, Mayor of the City of Ottawa
Quick facts
- For the Pinecrest Garage improvements project, the Government of Canada and the City of Ottawa will be contributing up to $750,000 each for a total project cost of $1,500,000.
- For the Multi-Use Pathway (Michael St. to St. Laurent) project, the Government of Canada and the City of Ottawa will be contributing up to $100,000 each for a total project cost of $200,000.
- For the Russell park and ride project, the Government of Canada and the Township of Russell will be contributing up to $28,927 each for a total project cost of $57,854.
- The Government of Canada will invest more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada's rural and northern communities.
- $25.3 billion of this funding will support public transit projects, including $5 billion that will be available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
- Since 2004, the Government of Ontario has committed more than $3.7 billion to municipalities across the province through the provincial gas tax program. This funding supports municipal transit systems.
Associated links
Government of Canada's $180-billion+ infrastructure plan: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/about-invest-apropos-eng.html
Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map-carte/on-eng.html
The Public Transit Infrastructure Fund: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/ptif-fitc-eng.php
Building Ontario - Infrastructure Plan: https://www.ontario.ca/page/building-ontario
Twitter: @INFC_eng
SOURCE Infrastructure Canada
For further information: Brook Simpson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-219-0149, [email protected]; Celso Pereira, Minister's Office, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, 647-201-9348, [email protected]; City of Ottawa, Media Relations, 613-580-2450, [email protected]; Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]
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