CONSTRUCTION CONTINUES ON TRANSIT SERVICE IN MISSISSAUGA

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 19 /CNW/ - A groundbreaking ceremony was held today to mark the start of construction of Tomken Station, along the Mississauga bus rapid transit corridor. Bob Dechert, Member of Parliament, Mississauga-Erindale; Amrit Mangat, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Transportation and Member of Provincial Parliament for Mississauga-Brampton South; Her Worship Hazel McCallion, mayor of Mississauga; and Judy Knight, Metrolinx vice-president of Corporate Infrastructure, participated in the event.

This project, which is expected to start service in spring 2013, will improve local and inter-regional bus operations across the City of Mississauga. The system will cover 18 kilometres across Mississauga along the Highway 403, Eastgate Parkway and Eglinton Avenue corridors between Winston Churchill Boulevard in the west and Renforth Drive in the east. A total of 12 stations will be constructed along the route, with 11 new stations and one existing station incorporated into the busway.

"Investments in public transit create jobs and boost the Canadian economy," said MP Dechert. "This rapid transit system will provide commuters in Mississauga with a more efficient transit option, while cutting commute times and taking more cars off the road."

"We are pleased to work with our government partners as part of our Open Ontario plan to create jobs and improve public transit across this important transportation corridor," said PA Mangat. "We are working together to create an integrated transportation network across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. This network will make it easier for the people of Mississauga to travel across the region."

"We are making Mississauga a transit-oriented city," said Mayor Hazel McCallion. "The bus rapid transit system is an example of what can be done when we put our funding together to move our transit plans forward for the people of Mississauga. It is the key to our city's future and that of the GTA. Regional transit links will connect people with cities, fuel our economies and improve the environment."

"We are pleased to work with our government partners to improve public transit in Peel Region," said Ms. Knight. "We are working together to bring an integrated transportation network for all of our customers, making it easier for them to move around."

The federal funding for this project was announced on March 6, 2007, as part of FLOW, an initiative of the Government of Canada for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that is designed to reduce congestion, cut commute times, help clear the air and help drive the economy in the GTA. Provincial funding for this project was announced in the 2006 Ontario budget.

Read more about Open Ontario — the Ontario government's five-year plan that includes investing $32 billion in infrastructure, and creating and sustaining over 300,000 jobs — at www.premier.gov.on.ca/openOntario.

As Canada's sixth-largest city, Mississauga is home to 734,000 residents and 55,000 businesses, including 63 Fortune 500 companies with Canadian head offices or major divisional head offices.

A backgrounder with information on federal investments in public transit in the Greater Toronto Area is attached.

FEDERAL INVESTMENTS IN PUBLIC TRANSIT IN THE GREATER TORONTO AREA

The Government of Canada is committed to helping provide Canadians with safe, efficient and affordable mass transportation, which contributes to a stronger economy, a cleaner environment and better communities, while addressing local and regional infrastructure needs.

The federal funding for these improvements comes 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. The CSIF supports large-scale strategic infrastructure projects that improve quality of life and further economic growth.

The City of Mississauga's Bus Rapid Transit Project, a key future component of Mississauga's transit system, involves an 18-kilometre east-west dedicated bus right of way across Mississauga along Highway 403, Eastgate Parkway and Eglinton Avenue between Winston Churchill Boulevard in the west and Renforth Drive in the east. This project will improve local and inter-regional bus connections across the City of Mississauga. A total of 12 stations will be constructed along the route: 11 new stations and one existing station incorporated into the busway.

Total project cost is estimated at $259 million. The federal government is contributing up to $59 million to the City of Mississauga and $24 million to GO Transit (a division of Metrolinx) through the CSIF. The Province of Ontario has already provided $65 million to the City of Mississauga to support the project and is contributing another $48 million in GO Transit investments. The City of Mississauga will fund the rest of the project costs. The project is expected to be in service in 2013.

The government's investment in Mississauga's Bus Rapid Transit Project was announced in March 2007 as part of FLOW, an initiative of the Government of Canada for the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) that is designed to reduce congestion, cut commute times, help clear the air and help drive the economy in the GTA.

The FLOW announcement also committed funding to the following projects:

• up to $95 million for the Brampton Züm project;
• up to $85 million for the Viva Phase 2, Stage 1 bus rapid transit (BRT) project;
• up to $2.5 million to Durham Region's Long-Term Transit Strategy; and
• up to $697 million to support the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension project.

In addition, the Government of Canada has made the following commitments to public transit projects in the GTA:

• Toronto Transit Commission Strategic Capital Projects — $303.5 million through the CSIF to a $1.05-billion project for improvements to subway, streetcar and bus infrastructure ($46.5 million has also been set aside for a potential FareCard project);
• Union Station Revitalization — $133 million through the Building Canada Fund to a $640-million project for improvements to the historic Union Station;
• Sheppard East Light Rail Transit — $333 million through the Building Canada Fund to a $1.0-billion project for 15 kilometres of dedicated streetcar lines along Sheppard Avenue;
• GO Transit Projects — $385 million to over $1.0 billion in commuter rail improvements under the GO Transit Rail Improvement Package (GO TRIP) and a further $250 million to GO system improvements under the $500-million GO Transit Improvement Package (GO TIP); and
• York Viva Phase 1 — $50 million to a $164-million BRT project.

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.

Since 2003, the Ontario government has invested more than $10.8 billion to help improve and expand transit in Ontario. The province has committed approximately $220.7 million in transit funding to the City of Mississauga since 2003, including:

• approximately $80.4 million in Gas Tax funding since 2004;
• $23.9 million in vehicle replacement/refurbishment program funding;
• $14.6 million in one-time funding in 2006 and 2010; and
• $33,000 in funding through Ontario's Transit Technology and Infrastructure Program (TTIP) towards the purchase of expansion buses, software upgrades and technology improvements.

Provincial contributions to federal FLOW projects include:

• $870 million to support the extension of the Toronto-York Spadina subway from Downsview Station to the Vaughan Corporate Centre at Highway 7 in York Region;
• $95 million to support the construction of a bus rapid transit (BRT) system along Brampton's key east-west, north-south corridors, including links to Mississauga, York Region and Toronto;
• $65 million to support the Mississauga Bus Rapid Transit Project; and
• $2.5 million toward Durham Region's Long-Term Transit Strategy.

PRESTO — Ontario's first-ever regional fare card — is rolling out across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, and is now available on Oakville and Burlington Transit; at all 11 GO stations along the Lakeshore West line; at all eight stations along the Milton line; at Mount Pleasant, Etobicoke North, Malton and Union GO stations; and at nine TTC subway stations.

Province's Contribution Through the Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan

Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario, provides leadership in the coordination, financing and integration of all modes of transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

A seamless, integrated regional transit network with a focus on public transit means people and businesses will be able to move more easily across the GTHA, making cities more livable and the economy stronger, while protecting the environment. Metrolinx is also responsible for the operation of GO Transit.

In November 2008, Metrolinx released "The Big Move," its regional transportation plan for the GTHA. The Big Move identifies plans for expansion of the regional rapid transit network, including subways, light rail and bus rapid transit lines, integrated with an expanded GO Transit commuter rail network. Metrolinx is now implementing a number of key projects identified in The Big Move, including the "Big 5" transit projects in the GTHA. In spring 2009, the province committed over $9 billion to these projects. They include: 

• Sheppard East light rail transit (LRT);
• Finch West LRT;
• Eglinton Crosstown LRT;
• York Viva bus rapid transit (BRT); and
• upgrading and extension of Scarborough Rapid Transit.

The provincial government is committed to the implementation of the Big 5 transit projects. Metrolinx has developed the 5 in 10 Plan, a well thought-out, solid plan to implement the "Big 5" projects within a credible 10-year time frame. Metrolinx is now proceeding with the implementation of the 5 in 10 investment. Construction is underway on the Sheppard East LRT and York Viva BRT. In addition, work is underway on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT with the purchase of four tunnel-boring machines; and the environmental assessments are complete, and the planning and design is underway on both the Scarborough and Finch West LRT projects.    

THE CITY OF MISSISSAUGA

As Canada's sixth-largest city, Mississauga is home to 734,000 residents and 55,000 businesses, including 63 Fortune 500 companies with Canadian head offices or major divisional head offices. A diverse, progressive and award-winning municipality located on the shores of Lake Ontario in the heart of the Greater Toronto Area, Mississauga is one of Greater Toronto's Top 90 Employers for 2010. Enhancing its citizens' quality of life by providing superior services, revitalizing its infrastructure and conserving the environment, Mississauga is committed to innovation, operational excellence and fiscal responsibility, which is reflected in its motto: "Leading Today for Tomorrow."

The Mississauga bus rapid transit (BRT) project will complement and connect with local bus services and inter-regional transit and subway systems, linking high-density development areas and employment centres across Mississauga. Once it comes into service in 2013, 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 Greater Toronto Area.

For further information:

John Babcock Press Secretary Office of the Honourable Chuck Strahl Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa 613-991-0700 Katherine King Minister's Office Ontario Ministry of Transportation, Toronto 416-327-9134 Catherine Monast Team Leader, Media/External Communications City of Mississauga 905-615-3200, ext. 5046 TTY: 905-896-5151

Media Relations Transport Canada, Ottawa 613-993-0055 Bob Nichols Ontario Ministry of Transportation Toronto 416-327-1158 Vanessa Thomas Media Relations Metrolinx Toronto 416-874-5974

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