On April 2, 85 eligible municipalities located outside of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) will be able to nominate their most critical public transit projects under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP). This stream will fund construction, expansion and improvement of public transit networks.
“Our communities count on commuter infrastructure to get people to work and home again to their families,” said Monte McNaughton, Minister of Infrastructure. “Our government’s investment will make public transit infrastructure better, safer, and more accessible.”
The first intake of the Public Transit stream of the 10-year infrastructure program will unlock up to $1.62 billion in joint provincial and federal funding for critical public transit outside the GTHA. In total, ICIP will unlock up to $30 billion in combined federal, provincial, and local investments in Ontario communities as part of a 10-year bilateral agreement.
“Ontario transit agencies are pleased that the intake process has begun for the transit stream of ICIP funding. Municipalities across the province are ready to build transformative transit projects that make a difference to people’s daily lives,” said Karen Cameron, CEO of the Ontario Public Transit Association.
Municipalities can easily apply for all ICIP funding streams using the Grants Ontario website, a ‘one-window’ source that handles application intake, review, nomination, reporting and transfer payment management processes.
Funding is allocated to transit systems based on their share of total transit ridership in Ontario as per the 2015 Canadian Urban Transit Association Fact Book. This allocations-based funding model was set by the federal government.
The application intake for the Rural and Northern stream under ICIP is open until May 14, 2019.