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The Government of Ontario, through its MoveOntario 2020 initiative, announced a list of 52 rapid transit improvements and expansion projects for the GTHA in June 2007. The province has committed $11.5 billion ($17.5 billion with federal participation) to finance the plan’s implementation.

Read Full Details of MoveOntario 2020

Metrolinx is showing leadership by working with key stakeholders to develop regulatory and legislative changes that continue to protect the environment, but result in a significantly  streamlined environmental assessment process for public transit projects.

   More about the Provincial Environmental Assessment Process |
    Federal Environmental Assessment for Transit Projects

In June 2007, the federal Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities announced the development of a National Transit Strategy, as a framework to capture objectives and priorities for public transit funding across the country. Metrolinx supports this effort to bring together the three levels of government to strategically develop and invest in transit projects that will help Canada achieve the goals of stronger economic productivity and international trade competitiveness.

   More About National Transit Strategy

In the summer of 2007, the PRESTO Fare Card was introduced on four Mississauga bus routes, two stations on the GO Transit Milton line and Union Station for both GO Transit and the Toronto Transit Commission. When the PRESTO Fare Card is transferred from the Ministry of Transportation/GO Transit at some future point, Metrolinx will be responsible for the system that will allow riders to move across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton region with a single fare card.

   Link to PRESTO Fare Card site

The Greater Toronto Transportation Act, 2006 provides for the eventual transfer of responsibility for GO Transit to Metrolinx, after the applicable sections of the act are proclaimed in force. To that end, Metrolinx is working with GO Transit on a transition strategy to examine, on a pro-active basis, the options and implications of such a transfer. GO Transit is one of North America’s most successful regional public transportation providers. GO will be the strategic lever in moving the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area towards more seamless transportation integration. GO is exceptional by many standards. It serves a population of 5 million people every day, and it covers about 90 per cent of its operating costs from the fare box. That's one of the best cost-recovery ratios in the world. Metrolinx’s goal is to introduce full-time two-way service on all GO train corridors, to extend GO train service deeper into Durham, Peel and York regions, and to upgrade GO train stations into community focal-point “mobility hubs."

   Link to GO Transit site

Metrolinx is carrying out a preliminary assessment of the costs, benefits and impacts of locating a bus terminal in downtown Toronto.

Metrolinx will collaborate with GO Transit, TTC and other transit and transportation providers across our region to implement a one-stop integrated trip planner system hosted by www.metrolinx.com. The trip planner will be customer-friendly: key in your origin and destination point, and the trip planner will display departure and arrival times, connection opportunities, fares and a route map. You will also find convenient links to real-time traffic and weather conditions, traffic incident reports, and even airport and border crossing delays. Metrolinx will also work collaboratively with the province’s Climate Change Secretariat and the Ministry of the Environment on a carbon footprint calculator feature which will measure the impact of our individual transportation and travel decisions on the quality of our air and natural environment.

Metrolinx will help municipalities across Ontario to save costs by coordinating their transit fleet acquisition orders, equipment specifications, and timing. By working collaboratively, we can reduce the unit cost of new buses, allowing the savings to be returned to taxpayers or reinvested in better transit customer service. It also allows us to advance public standards in areas such as environmental performance, fuel economy, disability access and advanced technology in a consistent and cost-effective way.

All municipal and transit authorities have instituted emergency and safety plans to protect their residents, riders and business operations. In the event of a large scale natural disaster and public emergency, however, the consequences could easily cross municipal boundaries and affect neighbouring transit systems. We are one metropolitan region from Oshawa to Hamilton to Georgina; our legislation mandates Metrolinx to plan our response to emergency situations with that regional scope in mind.