For the second time this spring, the provincial government has committed to fully funding a light rail transit system.
Premier Kathleen Wynne announced Tuesday that the province would fund a new LRT line in Hamilton in its entirety.
A line connecting Mississauga and Brampton received similar assurances as part of the provincial budget.
It’s a start contrast to the under-construction LRT project in Waterloo Region, where the province only picked up one-third of the tab.
“We do believe that there needs to be some equity across the province,” regional chair Ken Seiling said in an interview.
Part of the discrepancy is due to geography. Both the Hamilton and Mississauga-Brampton projects fall under the umbrella of provincial transit agency Metrolinx, while Waterloo Region’s does not.
The province recently announced a $16-billion plan to build transit projects inside the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area.
A further $15 billion has been set aside for the rest of the province – including Waterloo Region – but details of how that money will be allocated have not been provided.
Coun. Sean Strickland says he understands the need for large-scale investment in transit in the GTHA, but finds it “galling” that those projects are being fully funded while others may not be.
“The province has to recognize that there’s an injustice in that approach,” he said.
Regional officials hope full funding will be considered for when light rail transit is extended into Cambridge.
In an interview with CTV News last month, Wynne said the province would be listen to any proposals.
That message was echoed Wednesday by Kitchener Centre MPP Daiene Vernile, who said she had been in touch with Wynne and Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca regarding the issue.
“They’re going to give it very serious consideration,” she told CTV News.
A proposal to extend Waterloo Region’s LRT system could be complete by the end of 2016.
