Premier Doug Ford announced Thursday that the Ontario government will be spending $28.5 billion dollars to improve the Greater Toronto Area’s subway system. He hinted at the announcement earlier in the week, during a speech in Burlington on Tuesday.
You have waited long enough. We’re investing in reliable public transit to get you to work, and to home, faster. Are you with us? https://t.co/0cPNac4TP8 pic.twitter.com/cMvmk8512u
— Ontario PC Party (@OntarioPCParty) April 9, 2019
This announcement comes at a time where there is tension between the City of Toronto and the Ford government about the province’s plan to take over the TTC subway system.
An open letter, sent on Feb. 21 to Mayor John Tory, was signed by 37 notable individuals, including Maria Augimeri, who is the former TTC commissioner, and David Crombie, a former mayor of Toronto, urging Tory to defend the city’s subway system.
“Before proceeding with any further with discussions with the Province, as per the Terms of Reference, the City must demand complete transparency on the Province’s ideas and plans, and insist that the TTC host public meetings to communicate to Torontonians the full range of implications of the upload,” the letter read.
Their worry is that Toronto will experience loss of efficiency, loss of planning power, and loss of future investment if the province does take over.
According to a statement released by the Ontario government, the premier met with the mayor on March 25, and transit was discussed.
“As I have said from Day One, I am committed to delivering better transit to the people of Ontario, and that means getting new subways built. I am glad to have had another productive discussion with Mayor Tory on this critical file,” the statement from Ford read.
Many Torontonians hope to see an improvement in their transit system.
“I hope this funding goes to improving service on the subway lines,” Amir Khalsa said early on Wednesday morning while he was at the Pape subway station. “There doesn’t seem to be a day where there isn’t some kind of delay.”
These delays affect Khalsa, as he uses the TTC everyday to get to his job at Hudson’s Bay at Yonge and Bloor.
Related story: Toronto Faced Major Transit Delays in January 2019
The Ontario government has remained tight-lipped about how the funding will be spent.
The announcement will be made at 10:30 a.m. Wednesday with Premier Ford present, said a Tweet shared by Ontario’s Minister of Transportation Jeff Yurek.
Stay tuned! We’re going live with Premier @fordnation and Minister @JeffYurekMPP at 10:30 AM tomorrow for an exciting #transit #infrastructure announcement. #ONpoli
— Monte McNaughton (@MonteMcNaughton) April 9, 2019