London, Ont. gets $170M from province to build new rapid transit system
by Canadian Manufacturing.com Staff
The city aims to start work bus system by 2020, but the project's $500 million price tag means it still requires federal funding
LONDON, Ont.—A major overhaul of London, Ont.’s public transit system has secured the backing of the provincial government.
Ontario’s Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca was in the southwestern Ontario city Jan. 15 to announce $170 million in funding for the city’s planned rapid transit system that relies on buses.
The London Bus Rapid Transit project includes 23.7 kilometres of new infrastructure along several of the midsize city’s busiest routes. It’s designed to link London’s downtown and a number of university and college sites to regional transit hubs, including the city’s bus terminal, Via station and future high speed rail line.
The overall project is expected to cost nearly $500 million.
The city has already committed about $130 million to the project. While the provincial funding gets London closer to the finish line, a decision on federal funding has yet to be disclosed.
If the project secured the funds to move forward, construction is expected to get underway in 2020 with the first segments of rapid transit line opening in 2023.
