Canada and Ontario invest in public transit and active transportation infrastructure to support Waterloo Region residents

The Voice of Canada News:

Waterloo Region — The health and well-being of Canadians are the top priorities of the Governments of Canada and Ontario. But the COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than our personal health. It is having a profound effect on our economy.

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

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

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, and Member of Parliament for Waterloo; along with along with the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure; Mike Harris, Member of Provincial Parliament for Kitchener-Conestoga; and Karen Redman, Chair of the Region of Waterloo, today announced funding for 10 public transit and active transportation projects in the Waterloo Region.

Residents who use public transit will benefit from improvements to bus stops and shelters as well as safer pedestrian crossings and intersections. The University of Waterloo and Conestoga College (Doon Campus) Bus Stations will be renovated and expanded to include new heated transit canopies, signage, and covered bicycle parking. Several projects involve the construction of new and expanded pedestrian and cycling infrastructure, including a new 1.7 km trail to ION Light Rail Transit in the region. Better connected trails, bridges, and pathways will make it safer and easier for pedestrians and cyclists to commute to their destinations or to directly access public transit. 

The Government of Canada is investing over $13 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 $11 million to the projects, while the Region of Waterloo is contributing more than $17 million.

This is the first in a series of important project announcements that will be made across the province over the coming weeks.  We are working cooperatively to support jobs, improve our communities and build confidence as we safely and sustainably restore economic growth.

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

Quotes

“Investing in modern and accessible public transportation systems is essential to building healthy, inclusive, and resilient communities. Many residents in Waterloo Region rely on public transit and cycling routes to get around the region each day. The investments we are making with our partners are helping make communities more liveable for families while moving forward on sustainability and fighting climate change. They will also provide jobs as we recover from the economic effects of the pandemic. When Canada builds, Canada grows.”- The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

“Investing in modern and integrated public transit systems and active transportation are essential for building healthier, low carbon communities of tomorrow. The projects announced today in the Region of Waterloo will provide residents with more alternatives for getting where they need to go safely and affordably. This is a great example of how we are working with our partners to build stronger, more sustainable infrastructure that will serve communities now and in the future.”- The Honourable Bardish Chagger, Minister of Diversity and Inclusion and Youth, and Member of Parliament for Waterloo

“Investing in infrastructure is essential to the recovery of Waterloo Region’s and Ontario’s economy. This will provide much needed job creation helping our municipal partners recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.”- The Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure

“As Waterloo Region’s economy begins to reopen, the approval of these transit projects and this investment of more than $31.4 million from Ontario, the Federal and Waterloo Regional governments will jump start our local recovery and create much needed jobs. I am very pleased that Waterloo Region is now able to move forward on these projects and deliver improved transit infrastructure to our communities.”- Mike Harris, MPP for Kitchener-Conestoga

“The Region of Waterloo acknowledges the crucial partnerships with senior levels of government. The collaboration and cost sharing at the federal provincial and municipal levels for these active transportation infrastructure projects will benefit pedestrians, cyclists and those who use public transit. This announcement recognizes our local priorities and enables our community to move towards by addressing the needs of our growing region while helping us reach our goal of lower carbon emissions and taking action on climate change.”- Karen Redman, Chair of the Region of Waterloo