A federal and provincial funding announcement brings Hamilton one step closer to realizing all-day GO Train service.
The upper levels of government are spending $196 million through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, to build 9.7 kilometres of new track between the Burlington and West Harbour GO stations.
Burlington Liberal MP Karina Gould says it’s all about “regional connectivity” in the Hamilton and Greater Toronto area.
Gould notes that whether people live in Burlington and work in Niagara or live in Hamilton and work in Toronto, it’s about ensuring that “people can get to the places they need to go.”
READ MORE: GO train service to extend to Grimsby by 2021, Niagara Falls by 2023
The federal and provincial governments are also investing $36.2 million, through Friday’s transit announcement, in a series of projects that are specific to the City of Hamilton.
That funding represents 50 per cent of the cost of 13 local transit improvement projects, including design money for a new bus maintenance and storage facility, funding for upgraded bus stops and shelters and money for 16 new buses.
Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger says he’s looking forward to getting to work on those initiatives, stressing that “the system has to be comfortable, it has to be reliable” or else people won’t use it.
Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale Liberal MPP Ted McMeekin also used the funding announcement to weigh in on the controversy that surrounds Hamilton’s light rail transit project.
McMeekin stresses that “if in city council’s infinite wisdom or folly” something were to happen that would take Hamilton LRT off the rails, the $1 billion committed for construction would go back to the province and “within about 30 seconds” be sent to another community.
Councillors voted earlier this week to delay approval of the project’s updated route design and environmental assessment. That has prompted Ward 4 Coun. Sam Merulla, a main LRT supporter, to predict that the city will lose the investment.
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