PRESS STATEMENT FROM THE TRANSIT ALLIANCE
“The Transit Alliance congratulates Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the federal government for stepping forward to provide $4.8 billion worth of funding for Toronto’s RELIEF SUBWAY line. It is essential that the Premier Kathleen Wynne’s provincial government provide their 33 per cent financial contribution to truly help Toronto push the much-needed Relief Line forward.
The Transit Alliance has spent seven years educating and campaigning for the Relief Line and we are pleased to see that the federal government is working closely with the city of Toronto to tackle our growing gridlock issues.
The Transit Alliance also congratulates and supports Toronto Mayor John Tory’s continuous call for a 40-40-20 cost-sharing arrangement. The future of transit in this city depends on true partnerships between municipal, provincial, and federal governments. Gridlock is not just Toronto’s issue.
Provincial support for the Relief Line is long overdue, especially considering the government’s refusal to allow the Mayor to implement tolls on the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway. This has left the city of Toronto unable to pay for transit needed to stop the growth of gridlock. forcing people to spend hours in their cars hurts Toronto, the Province and the country.
With continued support from all three levels of government, the Transit Alliance will continue to advocate and educate residents on it’s importance in easing the growth of gridlock in our city.
For more information, contact Sarah Thomson, CEO of the Transit Alliance, at sarah@sarahthomson.ca
