15 May 2009
Toronto, Ontario
Major investment will reduce traffic congestion, expand service and create jobs
Toronto residents will be able to take advantage of a new light rail line thanks to a joint investment from the Government of Canada and the Government of Ontario.
“This investment is good for Toronto, good for Ontario, and good for Canada,” said Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who was joined by Premier Dalton McGuinty at the announcement. “This major building project will create hundreds of jobs for local workers right away and ensure Toronto has the expanded and improved transit services it needs to compete for the jobs of the future.”
The new Light Rail Line will be fully integrated into the current Toronto transit system and will be administered by the Toronto Transit Commission. The 15-km light rail line will be built on Sheppard Avenue East in a dedicated right-of-way running from the Don Mills Subway Station to Meadowvale Road.
The new light rail line will replace the Scarborough East bus line and connect to the Sheppard Subway Line and the York Transit / VIVA bus service as well as future planned transit expansions.
The Toronto Transit Commission is one of the busiest transit services in North America. Each work day nearly 1.5 million people ride the system, eliminating approximately one million car trips daily.
The Sheppard East Light Rail Project is one of many job-creating announcements contained in the Harper Government’s Economic Action Plan.
