Justin Trudeau prepared to fund Montreal Metro's Blue line extension
Federal government has committed new funding to province for public transit infrastructure
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is committing $775 million to public transit infrastructure in the Montreal area over the next three years, suggesting the long-awaited extension of the Metro's Blue line could soon become a reality.
The province and the city have been pushing for years for an influx of cash from Ottawa to extend the line eastward.
Trudeau said Wednesday he would support the project, but that ultimately it's up to the Quebec government and Montreal to decide where the infrastructure money goes.
"If it remains a priority for the province and the municipalities, yes, we will do it," Trudeau told a news conference at an STM garage in Ahuntsic.
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The federal government announced new funding for public transit infrastructure as part of last month's budget.
The fund included $925 million for Quebec.
Trudeau said the infrastructure funding will doled out in two phases, the first to upgrade existing infrastructure and the second to finance long-term projects such as subway extensions and new bridges.
The government said in its recent budget that it will make "long overdue investments" in public transit systems so that Canadians "can get to work on time, and back home at the end of a long day."