TORONTO – The federal government is earmarking $1.8 billion in idle infrastructure cash to a regional express rail project around Toronto and millions more for smaller transit projects around Ontario.
Combined with provincial money, the federal and provincial governments are pitching in $4.4 billion to GO Transit’s regional express project that will add track, parking capacity and renovate stations in and around Toronto.
The federal dollars will come from the marquee infrastructure program set up by the previous Conservative government that the Liberals are now pushing provinces to start allocating to projects — or else watch the money flow directly to cities.
An additional $200 million announced today comes from the Liberals infrastructure program that started last year, which will fund 312 transit projects across the country’s most populous province.
The Liberals plan to spend $82.8 billion from their infrastructure program over the next decade, not including the more than $100 billion to be spent over the same time from previous infrastructure programs.
The Liberals are banking that the infrastructure money will boost economic growth rates.