From left to right: Gary McNeil, GO Transit President; Bob Dechert, MP for Missaussauga—Erindale and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Justice; Harinder Takhar, MPP for Missaussauga—Erindale; and Ron Starr, Mississauga Councillor cutting the ceremonial ribbon to mark the opening of the new parking structure at the Erindale GO Station on September 24, 2013.
MISSISSAUGA, ONTARIO — The Honourable Lisa Raitt, Minister of Transport and MP for Halton; Harinder Takhar, MPP for Mississauga—Erindale; and Bruce McCuaig, Metrolinx president and CEO, announced the upcoming opening of a new parking structure and station building at the Erindale GO Station. These new facilities will make it easier, safer and more convenient for commuters to take public transit.
Opening on September 3, the new six-level parking structure houses a 1,500-space parking garage and a new station under one roof. It boasts a new bus loop, a new pick-up and drop-off area, a covered pedestrian bridge to the station tracks, and pedestrian and bicycle pathways throughout. Eco-friendly features include LED lighting inside and out, solar panels on the roof, and a white roof surface that reflects light and contributes to energy cost savings of up to 73 per cent. The panels provide most of the energy needed to run the station building.
“The Government of Canada is proud to invest in projects that create jobs, stimulate economic growth and improve public transit options for Canadians,” said Minister Raitt. “The additional parking spaces at the Erindale GO Station will provide Mississauga residents with better access to public transit which, in turn, will help to reduce local traffic congestion and cut commute times.”
“Adding more than 1,100 new parking spaces at the Erindale GO station will encourage more commuters from Mississauga to take public transit to get to work, school or appointments,” said MPP Takhar. “Our government’s public transit investments continue to make transit a better choice for commuters, reducing congestion on our roads and contributing to a better quality of life for Ontario families.”
“Expanding parking at Erindale GO Station means more convenient transit options for Mississauga residents,” said Mr. McCuaig. “Metrolinx is making progress on The Big Move by reducing gridlock and creating a more efficient, integrated transportation network in the GTHA.”
The total cost of the parking expansion project is $67.6 million. The governments of Canada and Ontario are each contributing up to $33.8 million, through the GO Transit Improvement Program, a $500-million joint investment announced by the federal and provincial governments.
Canada’s Economic Action Plan focuses on creating new opportunities for jobs and growth, and ensuring long-term prosperity for Canadians. Strengthening infrastructure across the country is an important part of this plan. 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 965,000 net new jobs created since July 2009. Find out more about the opportunities in the Economic Action Plan 2013 at http://www.budget.gc.ca/2013/home-accueil-eng.html.
These investments also support Building Together, the Government of Ontario’s long-term plan to repair, rebuild and renew the province’s roads and highways, bridges, public transit, schools and postsecondary institutions, hospitals and courthouses. Since 2003, Ontario has invested approximately $85 billion in infrastructure, which has created and preserved an average of nearly 100,000 jobs each year. For more information on how Ontario is revitalizing its infrastructure, visit ontario.ca/infrastructure.
GO Transit is Metrolinx’s regional public transit system linking Toronto with the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. Metrolinx, an agency of the Province of Ontario, has developed a 25-year, integrated, regional transportation plan, The Big Move, which identifies Peel Region as an area that experienced a 77 per cent population increase in the last 20 years. The Region’s projected growth over the next 50 years will require infrastructure investments. GO currently carries about 65 million passengers a year in an extensive network of train and bus services that spans more than 11,000 square kilometres. For more information on Metrolinx, The Big Move or GO Transit, visit www.metrolinx.com.
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