Waterloo Region could get funding for LRT phase 2, says Kathleen Wynne
Premier Kathleen Wynne says phase 2 of the Waterloo Region light rail transit project linking Kitchener and Cambridge could be eligible for provincial funding.
Her comments come after Finance Minister Charles Sousa delivered a budget on Thursday that included a total of $130 billion for infrastructure funding across the province over the next decade. Of that, $31.5 billion is earmarked for transit and infrastructure in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area.
Phase 1 of the LRT connecting Kitchener and Waterloo is mentioned in the budget as a project that the government has already funded, but there is no new funding announced for the planned phase 2 of the project, which would extend the LRT line from Kitchener to Cambridge.
Wynne, however, says the money is there from Ontario and all the region has to do is ask.
"The fact that we have increased the amount of money in the fund that would pay for those transit projects outside of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area means that, yeah, projects like that could be eligible going forward," said Wynne.
"That's exactly why we have made some tough decisions about where we're going to get the money to do these investments because we know that the projects that are coming down the pipe are going to be very important for communities."
Wynne says her government has yet to receive any formal application for the money from the region. The budget says this year, the province will work towards establishing a "framework" to "prioritize and evaluate infrastructure needs.
"This framework will be used to select the next generation of infrastructure investments that improve the competitiveness of Ontario's communities, enhance productivity, promote innovation and develop new economic opportunities," the document says, listing Waterloo Region as a potential candidate.
Cambridge Mayor Doug Craig says the region should get the same consideration as cities in the GTA. Earlier this week, the province announced it would be paying for a $1.6-billion LRT line linking Brampton and Mississauga.
"Well I think that the question we need to ask is why are residents throughout the region paying for the LRT line when the same isn't being applied to other parts of the province, in Mississauga as an example. That's the question that needs to be asked," said Craig.
Right now the region's plan for phase 2 expansion of LRT is to use a rapid bus service between Kitchener and Cambridge, until there is enough ridership for LRT.