Province and City of Toronto to sign revised agreement providing more frequent, rapid transit
Today, Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation, Kinga Surma, Associate Minister of Transportation (GTA) and John Tory, Mayor of Toronto, issued the following joint statement after the Toronto City Council vote in favour of a revised “Ontario-Toronto Agreement in Principle” for the SmartTrack Stations Program:
“The Government of Ontario and the City of Toronto are working together to deliver a shared vision of a modern, integrated transit network. Our transit plan for Toronto will help unlock gridlock, relieve congestion and aid in our economic recovery as a major driver for investment and a significant source of employment.
Once signed, the amended “Ontario-Toronto Agreement in Principle” will mark the full endorsement for five new SmartTrack stations in Toronto that will be delivered by Metrolinx – St. Clair-Old Weston, Finch-Kennedy, King-Liberty, Bloor-Lansdowne and East Harbour.
The SmartTrack Stations Program has been updated to reflect the Province’s ongoing work to build the Ontario Line and Scarborough Subway Extension priority transit projects. These two priority subway lines include stations that will provide improved, higher frequency subway service for the communities and riders served by the originally proposed Gerrard-Carlaw and Lawrence-Kennedy SmartTrack Stations. The revised scope also includes the addition of the Bloor-Lansdowne Station. These changes and the overall SmartTrack Stations Program build on capacity and convenience for commuters as Toronto’s transit needs continue to evolve.
Today’s Council vote and the intent to sign this revised agreement form the foundation for our continued partnership and represents an important step towards getting this plan into action, putting shovels in the ground and building these priority stations as soon as possible for the people of Toronto.
Both Ontario and the City of Toronto have a shared responsibility to build transit infrastructure quickly and efficiently to keep people moving and drive business as we look to strengthen and rebuild our economy. Finally, GTA commuters will get the transit they deserve – an integrated, modern and efficient network that expands across the region.”
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