No. H077/11
For release - August 25, 2011
BARRIE, ONTARIO — Patrick Brown, Member of Parliament for Barrie; Aileen Carroll, Member of Provincial Parliament for Barrie; and Gary McNeil, GO Transit president, today marked the start of construction for the new Allandale Waterfront GO Station. The new stop will allow GO Transit to extend train service further into downtown Barrie, improving access to GO rail service and downtown Barrie, and increasing ridership on the Barrie line.
"Our government's investment in Allandale Station will increase public transit use, reduce gridlock and improve air quality," said MP Brown. "This new station will create jobs, increase economic growth and improve service for commuters in Barrie."
"This is great news for Barrie residents," said MPP Carroll. "Adding another stop in Barrie will make it easier for GO commuters to take public transit and leave their cars at home. Better public transit means a better quality of life for Ontario families."
The new GO stop, just south of Barrie's waterfront area, will include a 12-car side rail platform with heated shelters and a mini-platform. There will also be an enclosed pedestrian tunnel with ramps, a six-bay bus platform with shelter and parking with a Kiss 'n' Ride drop-off lane. Bicycle shelters and approximately 150 parking spaces for cars and scooters will be added, along with landscaping, fencing, and an electrical and communications building. The new stop will be located on the north side of the GO Barrie line on the existing north track, between Essa Road and Bayview Avenue. Construction is scheduled to be complete by the end of this year.
"Ridership growth in this region has exceeded our expectations and we are pleased to provide a second, downtown access to GO service," said Mr. McNeil. "Over the last five years and through partnerships between our municipal, provincial and federal governments, we were able to restore and expand GO service in Barrie."
The total cost of this project is $3.5 million. This investment is being made through the GO Transit Improvement Program, a $500-million joint investment announced by Prime Minister Harper and Premier McGuinty on February 17, 2009.
GO Transit is the Province of Ontario's interregional public transit system linking Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). GO carries about 57 million passengers a year in an extensive network of train and bus services that spans over 10,000 square kilometres. GO Transit is a division of Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario. For more information on GO services, visit www.gotransit.com.
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