The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) has prepared a list of more than 1,000 infrastructure projects that it says municipalites are ready to start as early as this spring — if they receive funding from the federal government.
FCM surveyed its members to develop this list of “shovel-ready” projects to encourage the federal government to flow funds to the projects when it releases its budget next Tuesday, January 27. It has also worked with the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) to support an earlier CUTA list that specifically identified transit projects that the organization hopes the federal government will support.
According to FCM and CUTA, in 2008, investing in local infrastructure employed 190,000 Canadians and contributed 2.1 per cent of the national gross domestic product. Each additional $1 billion invested in infrastructure creates more than 11,000 total jobs. Every one dollar spent on infrastructure creates more jobs and a bigger economic boost than a $2 tax cut.
An FCM backgrounder explains that that “accelerated infrastructure investments do more than generate economic stimulus. They also improve roads, bridges and other infrastructure vital to economic performance and environmental protection. There are no better examples of this than investments in public transit. Traffic congestion alone costs the Canadian economy $3.7 billion a year in delays. Canada’s aging public transit systems present opportunities to replace inefficient modes with cleaner and more efficient technologies (such as light rail transit (LRT) vehicles and articulated buses) and fuels (such as bio-fuel, natural gas or hydrogen).”
The list contains a number of public transit and transportation projects that will interest Transit Toronto readers. (Some of these local projects relate more to buying vehicles or products rather than being “shovel-ready”.) The list does not detail projects that have already received funding nor does it detail projects from municipalities that did not participate in the survey.
Amalgamated cities
Hamilton
Transit projects
Build downtown transit terminal and mobility hub
Receive premium for buying hybrid-electric buses
Toronto
Transit projects
Buy 204 new LRT vehicles
Buy streetcars to replace current fleet
Modernize subway stations
Retrofit subway stations to improve accessibility
Redesign Union Station
Regional municipalities
Durham
Transit projects
NoneTransportation projects that may affect transit
Replace Wentworth Street bridge
Rebuild Thickson Road between Rossland and Taunton Roads
Rebuild Simcoe Street between Niagara Drive and Conlin Road
Peel
Transit projects
None
(Peel does not have a regional transit system)Transportation projects that may affect transit
Finish various regional roads
Other cities
Barrie
Transit projects
Build new GO Transit station in city centre
Build new bus maintenance and storage facilityOther transportation projects that may affect transit
Improve Duckworth Street / Cundles Road East / Little Lake Drive / Highway 400 interchange
Brampton
Transit projects
Acceleride bus rapid transit reserve right of way— Queen Street between Downtown and Highway 50
Acceleride bus rapid transit reserve right of way — Main Street between Mayfield Road and Highway 407
Acceleride bus rapid transit reserve right of way — Steeles Avenue between Lisgar GO Station and Highway 427.
Acceleride bus rapid transit phase II — Queen Street between Mississauga and Chinguacousy Roads
Acceleride bus rapid transit phase II — Main Street between Mayfield Road and Sandalwood Parkway
Acceleride bus rapid transit phase II — Bramalea and Airport Roads between Bovaird Drive and the southern City limit
Acceleride bus rapid transit phase II — Mississauga Road between Mount Pleasant Go Station and Highway 407
Build mobility hub at Mount Pleasant GO Station
Replace transit vehicles
Refurbish Heart Lake Terminal
Refurbish Trinity Common Terminal
Improve accessibilty (install landing pads at bus stops)
Install transit shelters
Upgrade bus stop markers
Upgrade scheduling software
Install Wi-Fi along bus routesOther transportation projects that may affect transit
Rehabilitate various roads
Rehabilitate various bridges
Build James Potter Boulevard grade separation
Rebuild McVean Drive between Castlemore Road and Queen Street
Build Humberwest Parkway between Airport Road and Queen Street
Build Castlemore Road between McVean Drive and The Gore Road
Build Franceschini bridge
Extend Academic Drive to Flower City Community Campus
Burlington
Transit projects
Replace transit vehicles and expand fleet
Refurbish current buses
Revitalize transit operations centre
Buy and install automatic transit vehicle location system
Buy and install advanced traveller information system
Install transit priority measures at Brant and Fairview Streets
Mississauga
Transit projects
Bus rapid transit — extra costsOther transportation projects that may affect transit
Rebuild The Collegeway at Sawmill Creek
Rebuild Creditview Road between Eglinton Avenue and Britannia Road
Rebuild Truscott Drive between Winston Churchill Boulevard and Clarkson Road
Rebuild Duke of York Boulevard between Rathburn and Burnhamthorpe Roads
Build Meadowvale Boulevard between Meadowpine Boulevard and West Credit Avenue
Towns
Halton Hills
Transportation project that may affect transit
Rebuild Queen Street between Guelph Street (Highway 7) and Georgetown GO Station
Milton
Transit projects
Replace transit vehicles and expand fleet
Oakville
Transit projects
Build new bus maintenance and storage facility
Buy and install automatic transit vehicle location system
Build transit terminal at Sheridan College’s Trafalgar Campus
You can read the FCM list of 1,093 “shovel-ready” projects across Canada here.
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