No. H035/12
For release - April 27, 2012
BURLINGTON, ONTARIO — Mike Wallace, Member of Parliament for Burlington; Ted McMeekin, Member of Provincial Parliament for Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale; and Gary McNeil, GO Transit president, today marked the completion of the new pedestrian bridge at the Burlington GO Station, which will open in early May.
"The new bridge will provide commuters in the Burlington area with better access to transit facilities and will make the commuting experience more efficient and convenient," said MP Wallace. "Our government is proud to invest in key infrastructure projects that create local jobs and economic growth, and improve transit for Canadians."
"This new bridge will help GO commuters get to the train platform faster and easier," said MPP McMeekin. "Since 2003, the McGuinty government has invested more than $6 billion in GO Transit to improve and expand service. Our investments in public transit are helping commuters get to work, school or appointments."
"Improving access at our stations provides real, immediate benefits to our customers," said Mr. McNeil. "Customer service improvements that enhance access to our service reflect creative ways that we can make it easier for customers to get to their trains and make their experience at our stations more comfortable."
The new, covered bridge connects the parking structure with the two centre passenger platforms, making it easier for commuters to access the platforms. The bridge also includes enclosed stairs leading to the platforms west of the station.
The project cost a total of $4 million, with $2.65 million funded by the governments of Canada and Ontario through the GO Transit Improvement Program, a $500-million joint investment announced by Prime Minister Harper and Premier McGuinty on February 17, 2009. The Ontario government contributed the remaining $1.35 million.
This project created approximately 40 jobs and will make commuting easier and more convenient for about 4,700 people who use the station each day.
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 61 million passengers a year in an extensive network of train and bus services that spans over 10,000 square kilometres. On a typical weekday, GO runs more than 180 train trips and over 2,100 bus trips that carry about 217,000 passengers — reducing the number of car trips in the GTHA by about 187,000. GO Transit is a division of Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario. For more information on GO services, visit www.gotransit.com.
Investing in Ontario's roads, highways, transit, hospitals and schools is part of the Government of Ontario's plan to create jobs, grow local economies and ensure the province remains strong and competitive for years to come.
Canada's Economic Action Plan 2012 focuses on creating new opportunities for jobs and growth, and securing long-term prosperity for Canadians. Investing in public infrastructure is an important part of this strategy. Thanks to the Government of Canada's leadership, and our strong economic and financial fundamentals, the Canadian economy has recovered from the global recession better than most other industrialized countries. Canada has been a leader among G-7 countries throughout the recovery, with more than 690,000 net new jobs created since July 2009. Find out more about the opportunities in Economic Action Plan 2012 at www.budget.gc.ca/2012/home-accueil-eng.html.
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Contacts:
Geneviève Sicard
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Denis Lebel
Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
Ottawa
613-991-0700
Media Relations
Transport Canada, Ottawa
613-993-0055
David Salter
Press Secretary
Office of the Honourable Bob Chiarelli
Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation
Ontario
416-327-1815
Bob Nichols
Communications
Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Toronto
416-327-1158
Vanessa Thomas
Media Relations
Metrolinx
416-874-5974
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to e-news at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news or stay connected through RSS, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Flickr to keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada.
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