Toronto-York spadina subway extension moves forward

November 27, 2009

TORONTO — Construction is now underway on a new link that will connect the future Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension (TYSSE) mainline to the existing Wilson Subway Yard and expand yard storage facilities.

The Honourable Jim Flaherty, Canada’s Minister of Finance; the Honourable Jim Bradley, Ontario Transportation Minister; His Worship David Miller, Mayor of Toronto; Toronto Transit Commission chair Adam Giambrone; and Her Worship Linda Jackson, Mayor of Vaughan, on behalf of York Region chair Bill Fisch, and on his behalf Hershel Recht, Senior Advisor to The Honourable Peter Kent celebrated the groundbreaking today at the Wilson Yard connection site.

“Prime Minister Harper announced funding to expand Toronto’s subway line to help the city’s public transit system remain world-class and accessible for generations to come,” said Minister Flaherty. “With shovels in the ground today, this project is helping us right now in the midst of a global economic downturn by creating good local jobs.”

“The McGuinty government is undertaking the largest public transit build-out in Ontario’s history so that more people can leave their cars at home and take transit,” said Minister Bradley. “For the sake of our quality of life, economy and our environment, we are building a bigger, better subway system across municipal boundaries to support the millions of commuters who depend on this system.”

“We are making transit progress on many fronts in the City of Toronto. Today, as we break ground with our funding partners for the Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension, we literally cross a new boundary in public transit delivery. This will be the first subway system that crosses a municipal border linking Toronto and York Region. It will eventually give hundreds of thousands of daily commuters new transportation options while reducing gridlock on our roads and smog in our air,” said Mayor Miller.

“The Toronto-York Spadina Subway Extension is an important part of the TTC’s overall expansion plans across the city and region, which will increase service to riders of subways, streetcars and buses alike, while adding LRT with its transformative Transit City program. Riders tell us consistently that making service more reliable and regular is the most important thing we can do to improve their travel, and ultimately the liveability of their city,” said Mr. Giambrone. “The TTC is proud to work with its funding partners to extend rapid transit infrastructure like the Wilson Yard extension and improvement into new neighbourhoods.”

“This is another significant step forward that will help meet the Greater Toronto Area’s future network needs,” said Chairman Fisch. “As York Region continues to grow and mature, it is imperative to have the proper infrastructure and resources in place for both residents and businesses today and in the future.”

The Government of Canada is contributing $5.5 million to this portion of the project. This contribution is part of the federal government’s overall $697-million federal commitment to the subway extension and is also a major component of FLOW, the Government of Canada’s transportation action plan for the GTA.

The Province of Ontario has provided approximately one-third of the funding for this component of the project. This contribution is part of the province’s $870 million for the subway extension through the Move Ontario Trust. Through the 2009 Ontario budget, the province is investing $32.5 billion in infrastructure over the next two years, creating 50,000 jobs.

The City of Toronto and The Regional Municipality of York have committed to funding one-third of the total project costs, of which Toronto will contribute $526 million and York Region will contribute $352 million.