Canada and Ontario invest in more accessible public transit infrastructure for Barrie residents

The Voice of Canada:

BARRIE — The safety and well-being of Canadians are top priorities of the governments of Canada and Ontario. But the COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than Canadians’ personal health, it is also having a profound impact on the economy.

That is why governments have been taking decisive action to support families, businesses and communities, and continue to look ahead to see what more can be done.

Strategic investments in public transportation infrastructure play a key role in supporting Ontarians getting to work, school and essential services on time, and safely back home at the end of the day.

Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade, and Member of Parliament for Markham, on behalf of the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Doug Downey, Member of Provincial Parliament for Barrie-Springwater-Oro-Medonte and Ontario’s Attorney General, on behalf of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure; and Jeff Lehman, Mayor of the City of Barrie, announced funding for five projects that will modernize and improve Barrie Transit.

Residents who use public transit will benefit from the replacement of the City of Barrie’s retiring bus fleet with 30 new, low-floor, accessible buses. In addition, transit users with accessibility needs will benefit from the purchase of 21 new fully accessible, paratransit city buses which will replace the existing fleet over the next seven years.

A new transit hub at the Allandale GO Station and a new connection hub downtown will offer transit users a better connected and more integrated public transit system. More bus stops and platforms, as well as additional bicycle parking, will make it easier for residents to access the public transit system.

The Government of Canada is investing more than $16.4 million in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The Government of Ontario is providing more than $13.6 million, while the City of Barrie’s contribution is more than $10.9 million.

QUICK FACTS
Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.

$28.7 billion of this funding is supporting public transit projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.

Across Ontario, the Government of Canada has invested more than $2.5 billion in infrastructure under the Investing in Canada Plan.

Across the province, Ontario is investing more than $7.3 billion in public transit infrastructure over 10 years through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.