Wynne confirms ‘dedicated revenue stream’ needed for transit

Ontario premier Kathleen Wynne confirmed that new funding is needed to pay for expanded transit in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA).

“We need a dedicated revenue stream…so people can track where the dollars are coming from and where they’re going and where they’re being built,” Wynne said on Breakfast Television Thursday.

“What the tool will be, we haven’t determined,” she added later.

The province needs $50 billion over the next 25 years to ease gridlock in the GTHA.

Taxes, tolls and levies have all been considered and a report released Wednesday by the City of Toronto recommended implementing development charges, a fuel tax, a parking levy and sales tax. Mayor Rob Ford opposes the funding tools, which, if approved, could raise $2 billion a year for Metrolinx’s Big Move transit plan.

Wynne said Wednesday her government will implement new levies, even if some municipalities oppose it.

The province is also grappling with multiple transit bodies in southern Ontario, including the TTC, York transit and GO.

“People hold on to their turf,” Wynne said Thursday, but added that, “Metrolinx is the regional planning body and they’ve got a plan for the region.”

“We’ve got to find a way to pay for that transit.”

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