Schreiner announces game-changing plan for building world-class transit

MISSISSAUGA, ON — At the Streetsville GO Station in Mississauga this afternoon, Green Party Leader, Mike Schreiner outlined what no other party leader has had the courage to: an honest and sensible plan for funding world-class transit in Ontario.

“Greens do politics differently, and this is what we mean – being honest about paying for the infrastructure we need. Other parties promise the moon to Ontarians without telling them how they are going to pay for it. Greens know that magic money and fairy dust will not fund two-way all-day GO service. We will build the clean, affordable transit system that all Ontarians want and we won’t do it by maxing out our credit card,” said Schreiner, alongside Mississauga-Streetsville candidate, Abhijeet Manay.

The Green Party will invest $35 billion over 4 years in transit infrastructure, an increase of $1 to $1.5 billion per year over projections in the 2018 budget, and will fund 50% of the operating costs of municipal transit systems. A commitment to funding the Hurontario LRT is an essential part of the GPO plan.

To pay for this record investment in transit, Schreiner will follow the lead of other forward-looking metropolitan cities that have instituted road pricing – through tolls, congestion charges, parking levies and land value taxes in Toronto.

“I’m going to do what the economists, the business leaders and the experts all say we need to do. I have the courage of my convictions on this. While the other parties talk a good game about transit, I’m the only one backing it up with a real plan for getting Ontario moving,” added Schreiner.

The party’s commitment to sustainably funded and publicly owned mass transit earned it top grades on the TTCRiders’ report card a few weeks ago, ahead of the status-quo parties.

“It’s time we get serious about investing in liveable communities. The twenty-first century will not be dominated by car culture and the Green Party is ready to rapidly build an electrified transit system that will meet our climate targets and efficiently move people and goods across this province,” said Schreiner.

Learn more at gpo.ca/our-platform.