Ontario Partners with Business to Build New Etobicoke GO Station
Improving the transit experience and making life easier for Ontarians
The Voice of Canada News:
TORONTO — Ontario’s Government for the People is keeping its promise to build transit and make Ontario open for business by working with the private sector to build commuters a new, modern station at Mimico GO. This station is the product of a new kind of partnership. This project will optimize the use of government-owned land and increase transit ridership by building a new development along an existing transit line. We are improving the transit experience and making life easier for Ontarians.
John Yakabuski, Minister of Transportation, Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, Kinga Surma, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Transportation, Christine Hogarth, MPP, Etobicoke-Lakeshore, and Phil Verster, President and CEO, Metrolinx, visited the Mimico GO Station to announce that Ontario had signed a non-binding Letter of Intent with Vandyk Group of Companies. Metrolinx and Vandyk will negotiate the construction of a new Mimico GO Station.
“We are making it easier for people commuting in the GTHA,” said Minister Yakabuski. “The new station we are building at Mimico is part of our plan to improve service on the Lakeshore West line to every 15 minutes or better. By working with businesses to develop this site, we are delivering on our promise that Ontario is open for business, while we get this work done at a lower cost to the taxpayer.”
The new Mimico GO Station will include a new, accessible station building, pedestrian tunnels and elevators, refurbished platforms and new entrances to the station and below grade parking. In exchange for the right to develop above Mimico GO Station, the developer will pay all construction costs for the main station building, new parking and Greenway at Mimico GO Station.
“We are very excited about the opportunity at Mimico GO Station,” said Phil Verster. “Bringing a new station into a community at little or no cost to the taxpayer is something that has great potential. It also makes good business sense. Metrolinx continues to be open to innovative, joint approaches with the private sector that reduce the cost to taxpayers and also provide efficient, safe and affordable transportation options. “
Allowing developers to build above transit stations in exchange for constructing new station facilities reduces the cost of transit expansion projects to taxpayers and creates mixed use communities at our stations.
“We are cutting red tape and working with businesses to build new transit,” said Minister Clark. “Transit Oriented Development in major cities around the world are proven to increase ridership and make life easier for transit users by building vibrant communities around existing transit lines. This is one more way we are keeping our promise to open Ontario for business and increase housing in the GTHA.”
