Ontario to spend $1.4 billion on highways

Ontario’s McGuinty government said it will spend $1.4 billion this year on highway construction. Transportation Minister Harinder Takhar made the announcement on May 16 at the official launch of the construction season. “We are on the side of Ontarians who want to keep their families safe on our highways,” he said Takhar. “We are proud of our record of having the safest roads in North America, and this investment shows that we’re committed to keeping it that way.” Construction projects for 2006 include widening Highway 401 in the London area, and building new bridges at Bronte Creek and Sixteen Mile Creek to accommodate the future widening of the Queen Elizabeth Way. <br>
In the next 25 years it’s estimated that an additional two million vehicles will be travelling on Ontario roads. The amount of time spent in traffic could increase by four times and drive the cost of congestion as high as $28 million a day. “We are taking immediate action to ensure that this doesn’t happen,” Takhar said. “By increasing our investment in highways by 14 per cent this year, our government is helping to ensure a strong economy and a high quality of life for Ontario families today – and in the future.” <br>
In an effort to lure more people off highways and onto public transit, the government has also promised to dedicate $838 million this year for public transit projects in the Greater Toronto Area. This spending will include $670 million for a new subway to Highway 7 in York Region, $65 million for Mississauga’s Transitway dedicated bus line along Highway 403 and Eglinton Avenue, and $95 million for Brampton’s AcceleRide project, with express bus lanes within the city.<br>
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