Governments of Canada and Ontario invest in Finch West Light Rail Transit Project

TORONTO – Bill Morneau, Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for Toronto Centre, announced up to $333 million in federal funding for the Finch West Light Rail Transit (LRT) project. The Finch West LRT represents a $1.2-billion investment by the Government of Ontario to expand and improve transit in the City of Toronto.

The Finch West LRT project will include the design and construction of 11 kilometers of light rail transit line along the surface of Finch Avenue. The rail line will run from the new Finch West Subway Station on the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension at Keele Street to Humber College. The project will also build 16 surface stops, a below-grade terminus stop at Humber College, an underground interchange station at the TTC’s Finch West Subway Station, and a maintenance and storage facility for the light rail vehicles.

The LRT service will move more people faster through the busy Finch West corridor than the existing bus service, provide new regional travel options for transit users, connect to GO Transit bus services and Mississauga and Brampton local bus services, and support new economic growth and job creation in the region.

“The governments of Canada and Ontario are working together with municipalities to invest in important public transit infrastructure projects like the Finch West Light Rail Transit Project that will help reduce congestion and get middle class Canadians home to their families quicker. Through our government’s historic investments in infrastructure, we are building healthier communities while strengthening the Canadian economy. New urban transit networks and service extension projects help better meet the needs of Canadians by creating jobs today and a more competitive Canada in the economy of tomorrow,” said Morneau.

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada will provide more than $180 billion in infrastructure funding over 12 years for public transit, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, transportation that supports trade, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
• To support public transit, Budget 2017 proposes $25.3 billion. This amount includes $5 billion that will be available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
• Under the Building Canada Fund-Major Infrastructure Component, the Government of Canada is contributing up to $333 million towards the Finch West Light Rail Transit project.
• The Government of Ontario is making the largest infrastructure investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges, and water and wastewater infrastructure in the province’s history – more than $190 billion in public infrastructure over 13 years, starting in 2014–15. To learn more about what’s happening in your community, go to Ontario.ca/BuildON.

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada