Ontario budget: No GO news isn’t necessarily bad news, Niagara regional chair says
Provincial budget contained scant mention of GO service to Niagara but Bradley isn’t worried
NEWS Apr 12, 2019 by
Bill Sawchuk The St. Catharines Standard
The 2019 Provincial Budget offered up $28-billion in public transit money for Toronto — and one line about GO transit in Niagara — but Regional Chair Jim Bradley says not to worry.
"It's true Niagara's GO expansion was not mentioned as part of the 2019 budget," Bradley said. "But we have no expectations that the established timelines in Niagara will not be met. There is nothing in there to cause alarm."
Bradley said the commitment to Niagara is already firmly established with the addition of daily GO train service.
"There was nothing in there that tells me ... the process will be slowed down."
Metrolinx, which runs the GO transportation system, added regular weekday service to Niagara Falls and St. Catharines on the Metro West Line back on Jan. 7 after years of lobbying by Niagara politicians.
The morning train starts in Niagara Falls at 5:19 a.m., and stops at St. Catharines before continuing to Toronto. In the evening, the train from Union Station leaves at 5:15 p.m. for West Harbour and continues to St. Catharines and Niagara Falls.
Niagara West Progressive Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff said he recognizes the importance of transit and the role government plays in it.
"I have always advocated for increased access to public transportation as well as expansions and improvements on the GO line," he said. "Right now, we only have a couple going in and out a day. We obviously would like to see more of that along the route."
While there were no budget announcements, work continues on the project.
Matt Llewellyn, a senior adviser for media relations with Metrolinx, said the customer feedback the agency receives has been good, and Metrolinx is negotiating with its rail partners to find ways to increase service to the Hamilton and Niagara regions.
Complicating matters is the fact Metrolinx provides trains but doesn't own the rail lines. Any increase in capacity for Niagara requires negotiations and service agreements with other carriers.
An example is Bayview Junction, which acts as a bottleneck in western Hamilton. The tracks there are squeezed by the Burlington Bay and the escarpment and shared by CP, VIA/Amtrak and GO. In addition, two of CN's busiest freight lines also converge there.
Working on those agreements is part of what Llewellyn says is Metrolinx's commitment to bringing "incremental increases" in service to Niagara every year.
Llewellyn listed a series of steps already completed. They include new track and all supporting infrastructure between Burlington and Bayview Junction; the completion of the West Harbour station; the expansion of a bridge over Centennial Parkway and another bridge over the Desjardins Canal; the replacement of the Valley Inn Road bridge and the completion of a new layover facility on Lewis Road.
Extending more service to Niagara will also require infrastructure upgrades further east along the line, including a new GO station in Grimsby.
The construction of that new station will now include efforts to find private-sector investors to take part in the process through what's known as a Transit-Oriented Development Program, Llewellyn said.
The program uses real estate assets associated with the station to attract third-party investment. The investment offsets capital expenditures in exchange for the opportunity to develop in and around the properties.
St. Catharines and Niagara will eventually see some new track and improvements along the rail corridor. The VIA stations in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls will also have to be retrofitted.
