With a $123 million commitment from the federal government, the City of London has everything it needs to start construction on its scaled-down Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) plan.
Federal and local stakeholders made the announcement Friday morning outside of city hall.
The federal funding will go towards 10 transit projects, three of which make up the revised BRT plan.
In the spring, council divided the system into five sections, putting forward only three for provincial and federal money: the Downtown Loop, the Wellington Road Gateway and the East London Link.
The proposed northern and western legs of the system were scrapped.
Peter Fragiskatos, MP for London North Centre, said the 10 projects receiving funding offer something for everyone.
In addition to the BRT system, the projects include active transportation work related to the Adelaide Street underpass and Dundas Place, synchronized traffic signals, the acquisition of 31 new expansion buses, and improved bus stop amenities.
“There is something here for transit commuters, there is something here for cyclists, there is something here for drivers,” he said. “It’s an all-encompassing plan. We at the federal government saw that.”
On top of the federal funding, the province is kicking in $103 million, while the city is set to contribute a total of approximately $148 million.
Mayor Ed Holder said the 10 projects focus on getting people to work on time.
“The projects I supported, the majority that council supported, are those projects (that) are job-focused, getting people to the industrial south, to the industrial east. They get to work on time and back home again, that was the focus we took,” Holder said, rejecting the notion he had flip-flopped on BRT.
“By splitting it apart, we were able to get two-thirds to 100 per cent support from all councillors.”
Holder said construction will begin almost immediately on some of the projects, like improved traffic lights and work related to the Adelaide Street Underpass.
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