Ontario government to provide city of Barrie with funding for public transit improvements

The Ontario government announced Tuesday it will be providing the city of Barrie with funding for public transit improvements.

According to a news release, on April 2, the city of Barrie and 84 other eligible municipalities located outside of the greater Toronto and Hamilton area will be able to nominate their most critical public transit projects for consideration under the “Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.”

The province has committed $1.62 billion in shared funding for commuter-friendly projects.

The city of Barrie will receive up to $19,319,807 for public transit and renovation and expansion.

“This is a massive investment opportunity for public transit renovation and expansion,” Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte MPP, Doug Downey, said in the release. “When we invest in smart infrastructure, we create jobs and grow the economy, shaping the future for hard-working families in Ontario.”

According to the release, when matched with the federal and municipal contributions, a total of up to $58,544,870 will be invested in local transit in Barrie.

“Our economy, our communities, and our families all rely on infrastructure,” Barrie-Innisfil MPP, Andrea Khanjin, said in the release. “When people can get moving, the economy can get moving; that’s what we are doing.”

Barrie’s mayor, Jeff Lehman, took to Twitter Tuesday evening calling the news “huge.”

“This is huge. Federal and Provincial governments are releasing $43M in funding for public transit projects in @cityofbarrie, like buying buses and projects such as the Allandale Hub, if approved by Council. Thank you to the Ford and Trudeau governments for supporting transit,” Lehman tweeted.