The Honourable Jim Bradley
Minister of Transportation

Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area Transit Implementation Act, 2009 – Introduction House Statement

Legislature Building, Queen's Park, Toronto

March 30, 2009

Speaker, I rise in the House to propose the next step to better serve the daily transportation needs of the five and a half million people in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area with greatly expanded public transit.

Speaker, I am introducing the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area Transit Implementation Act, 2009 to merge Metrolinx and GO Transit and to put in place the tools for moving quickly as we take the Regional Transportation Plan off the drawing board and into service.

Regional transit is finally catching up with regional needs.

Our government is acting decisively and with a sense of urgency to build regional transit projects faster and more cost-effectively.  

These projects would mean reducing congestion and greenhouse gas emissions to protect the environment and improve the quality of life for our families and communities.

The visionary work of municipal leaders in shaping the Regional Transportation Plan – appropriately titled The Big Move – is in step with our transit objectives for the most populated region in Ontario.

We all want seamless transit, better service, quick commute times and cleaner air.  These are gathering points for everyone including our many stakeholders and important voices from the business community.

Speaker, after years of under funding and inaction by successive governments, the McGuinty government has put transit among our top priorities.

Our commitment of $11.5 billion in the Regional Transportation Plan made Canadian history as the largest single commitment in public transit. 

This investment will strengthen our economy.  Ten thousand jobs are generated by every billion invested building transit.

Since 2003, we have also invested an additional $7.4 billion in transit including more than $2.5 billion in GO Transit.

Leading Canadian economists have recently emphasized the high rate of economic return in infrastructure spending.  They recognize that money for transit projects invigorates the economy — and creates valuable assets that spur business growth and make life better.

Our government is investing in infrastructure when our economy needs it most.  

Speaker, I am also pleased to announce Robert Prichard as a transition advisor for the merger and a transition advisory board to help bring the two organizations together. 

The transition advisory board will include Rob MacIsaac as Chair and Peter Smith as Vice-Chair. 

Speaker, I would like to acknowledge some of our guests who have joined us here today in support of our proposed legislation including, Robert Prichard, Rob MacIsaac, Peter Smith and Mayor Hazel McCallion.

We want the new Metrolinx to have a board comprised of people with a range of professional and corporate experience – people with backgrounds in customer service, planning, law and financing large capital projects.

We decided on this type of board after examining how other large transit agencies around the world are structured.

Speaker, I also draw the attention of this House to the work of the current Metrolinx and GO Transit boards whose work and contributions have been exemplary.  I thank them most sincerely.

Our proposal would require the new Metrolinx to be guided by the regional transportation plan to ensure those projects in the plan are built expeditiously.

Speaker, municipalities are crucial partners in this effort.  We will continue to work with them to knit together a regional transit network that will serve all their constituents most effectively.

The proposed legislation would also require Metrolinx to consult with all municipalities in the GTHA on any changes to the plan.

Our actions today bring the implementation of a regional transit and transportation network and our aspirations for the environment and our economy into sharper focus.  

Speaker, I know our transit agenda is ambitious but we cannot wait for the next generation to act.

We look forward to working together with all our partners to make this happen and I encourage all members to support this Bill.

Thank- you.