Ontario Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government broke ground on three Ontario Line stations Wednesday (Sept. 4), as part of the province’s plan to build the 15.6-kilometre Ontario Line. The new stations are King-Bathurst, Queen-Spadina and Moss Park.
“Our government is one step closer to delivering a world-class transit system for the GTA,” Prabmeet Sarkaria, Minister of Transportation, said in a news release. “The stations we’re breaking ground on today will help tackle gridlock, reduce commute times and connect tens of thousands of commuters to homes and good-paying jobs each and every day.”
Once complete, the Ontario Line will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 14,000 tonnes annually and cut overall fuel consumption by more than seven million litres a year, the province said. This will equate to nearly 120,000 fill-ups at the pump per year.
The provincial government is investing nearly $70 billion over the next decade to build public transit, including the Ontario Line, the Scarborough Subway Extension, the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension and the Yonge North Subway Extension.
“Getting shovels in the ground at these future stations highlights the incredible progress our government is making towards delivering the largest subway expansion in our country’s history,” said Kinga Surma, Minister of Infrastructure. “We are not only building faster and more seamless transit, we’re also seizing this unique opportunity to create vibrant, mixed-use communities all along the Ontario Line.
“Our planned transit-oriented communities, such as at the future King-Bathurst and Queen-Spadina Stations, will bring more jobs, housing, including affordable units, and retail closer to transit, strengthening the character and liveliness of Toronto’s downtown core.”