EAST GWILLIMBURY, ON, May 13, 2013 /CNW/ - The Honourable Peter Van Loan, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for York—Simcoe; Kevin Flynn, Parliamentary Assistant to Ontario's Minister of Transportation; and Gary McNeil, GO Transit president, today marked the start of construction of a new GO bus storage and maintenance facility in East Gwillimbury.
The new bus storage and maintenance facility will allow easy access to Highway 404 to meet increased demand for GO express service. It will include indoor bus storage for up to 36 buses and outdoor storage for four buses; indoor service bays for fuelling, bus wash, inspection, cleaning and running repairs; building service support areas including equipment and storage rooms; and staff facilities and parking.
"Support for GO transit in York Region is part of the Harper government's Economic Action Plan," said Minister Van Loan. "Today's announcement shows our government's commitment to jobs, economic growth and transit for our community."
"The new bus storage and maintenance facility will help us expand GO Transit in the future," said PA Flynn. These important public transit investments are strengthening rural and small urban communities by providing commuters better choices, reducing congestion on our roads and contributing to a better quality of life for families."
"The addition of a new GO Bus maintenance facility will provide long-term support for the growth, expansion and flexibility of GO Bus service in York Region, another example of The Big Move in action," said Mr. McNeil.
The facility will aim to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification through the use of energy efficient systems, such as bus wash water recycling and other green initiatives. It will also feature an on-site fuelling station that will result in less travelling for buses not in service, saving money, time and reducing gas emissions. The expected completion date for this project is June 2014.
The total cost of the project is estimated at $20.5 million. The Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario are each contributing up to $9.05 million, funded through the GO Transit Improvement Program, a $500-million joint investment announced by the federal and provincial governments. The Government of Ontario through Metrolinx is contributing the remaining amount.
Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013 focuses on creating new opportunities for jobs creation, growth, and long-term prosperity for Canadians. Strengthening infrastructure across the country is an important part of this strategy. Thanks to the Government of Canada's leadership, and our strong economic and financial fundamentals, the Canadian economy has recovered from the global recession better than most other industrialized countries. Canada has been a leader among G-7 countries throughout the recovery with more than 910,000 net new jobs created since July 2009. Find out more about the opportunities in the Economic Action Plan 2013 at http://www.budget.gc.ca/2013/home-accueil-eng.html.
Investing in public transit is part of the Government of Ontario's plan to strengthen the economy. A strong economy protects the services that mean most to Ontario families - health care and education.
For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit ontario.ca/infrastructure.
GO Transit is Metrolinx's regional public transit system linking Toronto with the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario, has developed a 25-year, integrated, regional transportation plan, The Big Move, which identifies York Region as an area that will see significant growth in the future and that will require infrastructure investments. GO currently carries about 65 million passengers a year in an extensive network of train and bus services that spans more than 11,000 square kilometres. For more information on Metrolinx, The Big Move or GO Transit, visit www.metrolinx.com.
SOURCE: Transport Canada
Marie-Josée Paquette
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and
Communities and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
Ottawa
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Media Relations
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Patrick Searle
Minister's Office
Ontario Ministry of Transportation
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Bob Nichols
Communications
Ontario Ministry of Transportation
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416-327-1158
Vanessa Thomas
Relations avec les médias
Metrolinx
416-874-5974
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