MISSISSAUGA, Ont. - Improving commute times in Ontario was the stated aim of a $138.7-million joint investment Wednesday from Ottawa and the province to upgrade and repair more than three dozen highways, bridges and roads.
"What all these projects have in common is that when they are completed, drivers and commuters will get where they are going more quickly, safety will be improved, and businesses that depend on them will grow and prosper," said Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
"These are jobs that were on the province's infrastructure to-do list; we are accelerating them now because it is more opportune and more valuable to get on with them at this time."
Each government will contribute $69.4 million to work on 43 projects, with the federal money coming from Ottawa's infrastructure fund.
Projects range from bridge repairs in the Hamilton and York areas to the resurfacing of Highway 17 in Kenora.
There are no projects slated for Toronto itself, but several of the 400-series highways leading in and out of the city will get upgrades.
A study last month found Toronto had the worst commuting times among 19 big cities surveyed, with the average commute in the city clocking in at 80 minutes per round trip -- 24 minutes a day longer than in Los Angeles.
The report, by the Toronto Board of Trade, also found the average Toronto commute was 12 minutes longer than in New York and 32 minutes longer than Barcelona.
Harper dismissed questions about the lack of projects around the Greater Toronto Area in Wednesday's announcement, noting that the government's overall infrastructure plans involve thousands of improvements in the area.
"Any analysis of the total program would indicate that this region's doing very well in terms of the projects it's receiving," Harper said.
Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty said the investments will have a positive impact on the province's economy, adding he will continue working to maintain a balance between investing in roads and bridges, as well as in public transit.
"This will help improve traffic flow and trade, and together we're creating and preserving up to 1,100 jobs in communities across Ontario," McGuinty said.
The provincial government has invested $9.3 billion in public transit since 2003, but has come under fire for delaying $4 billion in funding for some major public transit projects in Toronto in last month's budget.
Terese Di Felice of the Canadian Automobile Association said the funding was a good start but there was much more work to be done.
"We're looking for long-term, sustainable funding that flows both from provincial and federal governments and a municipal commitment on how to spend that and prioritize their projects as well," Di Felice said.
Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion welcomed the announcement, calling it "a help."
"It's a step in the right direction, but they have a lot of steps to go before they deal with the needs of the municipalities," she said.
Work is slated to begin this spring on the various projects, which also include road repairs on Highways 7 and 8 in Kitchener, bridge work in Gravenhurst and Trenton and highway resurfacing in Sudbury and North Bay.
