Feds, city, province commit to $1.5B worth of work at Bloor-Yonge Subway Station
The federal, provincial and municipal governments have committed up to $1.5 billion to fund the expansion and rehabilitation of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)’s Bloor-Yonge Subway Station.
The funding will enable the City of Toronto to expand and rehabilitate the existing subway station to improve efficiency and capacity and reduce overcrowding during rush hours. Work will include the construction of a second platform on Line 2 for eastbound service, an expansion of the Line 1 northbound and southbound platforms, new elevators, escalators and stairs, and construction of a new accessible entrance and exit on Bloor Street East.
The federal government investing up to $500 million in this project through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of its Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The province, meanwhile, will provide up to $449.2 million, and the City of Toronto is contributing more than $564 million.
“As the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area continues to welcome more newcomers, we need to ensure that our public transit infrastructure keeps up with the pace of growth,” said federal Infrastructure Minister Dominic LeBlanc. “Since 2015, we have partnered with the Government of Ontario and the City of Toronto to make historic investments in public transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area – and with this announcement, we are continuing to deliver modern, reliable public transit for Canadians.”
“The expansion of Bloor-Yonge station is a key part of our transit expansion plan,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory. “This work to increase the capacity of this important transit hub is only possible because all three governments are working together to invest in the TTC and its future. Toronto is growing rapidly and these unprecedented transit investments are needed to make sure we have reliable, accessible, safe, and modern transit system now and in the future.”
Once complete, the project will increase the station’s capacity and accessibility. The improvements will enable more Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area residents to use public transit to get to and from their destination, reduce gridlock on roads, and help the TTC accommodate a projected growth in ridership.
Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
Over the past six years, it has invested more than $9 billion in over 1,800 infrastructure projects across Ontario through the program.