Toronto City Council recently voted to direct $226 million in provincial funding for work on the SmartTrack stations program. The report approved unanimously can be viewed on the city’s website.
Since the first budget development, the market environment has altered significantly. The implementation of the SmartTrack Stations Program has come under a lot of strain as a result of a number of reasons. These include supply chain uncertainty, ongoing inflation in construction costs, and instability in market participation and labour supply.
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The city and province councils discussed details of construction funding. According to deputy mayor Jennifer McKelvey, the transportation program will start building as soon as possible. It will have a revised budget that exceeds $1.68 billion. With extra funds secured, Metrolinx and the City of Toronto may start preparing various sites for the construction of the SmartTrack. They will move forward with awarding a design-build contract for the Bloor-Lansdowne station.
Bloor-Lansdowne, East Harbour, Finch-Kennedy, King-Liberty, and St. Clair-Old Weston are among the other locations where stations are slated to open.
More on the Toronto SmartTrack program
SmartTrack will transform Toronto’s heavy rail infrastructure for regional commuter service into an urban rapid transit network. This is in conjunction with Metrolinx’s GO expansion initiative. Additionally, City Council reaffirmed its support for fare integration across all transportation systems in the Toronto region by a unanimous vote.
The $226 million deal with the Province of Ontario is fantastic news for Toronto’s transit system, according to McKelvie. “The City of Toronto and the Government of Canada’s existing financing obligations are safeguarded by the Council’s approval of this provincial funding.
“Most significantly, it advances SmartTrack. We will tremendously benefit Toronto residents and expand their transportation alternatives. Converting the city’s current rail infrastructure from a regional commuter service to an urban rapid transit network will help us do so.
