Ministers help open GO parking lot

October 14, 2015 · 0 Comments

By Mark Pavilons
& Jake Courtepatte
The new parking lot in King City for GO commuters received some high-profile attention last week.
Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca joined King Mayor Steve Pellegrini and representatives from Metrolinx in officially opening the 70-space lot on Station Road Friday morning.
The 70 new parking spaces bring the total number of parking spaces to 502. Later this fall, construction will begin on more than 60 new spots, which will open in the spring of 2016.
“Currently there are 70 weekday trips on the GO Barrie line,” said Del Duca. “Over the next five years, that number will grow to more than 200.”
“This really is a success story,” said Mayor Pellegrini. “It’s a great partnership between the province, Metrolinx, and the Township of King.
“We’re excited with the minister’s announcement that more parking is coming here. It’s great that we’re promoting and getting people moving through Metrolinx and it’s going to do a lot for the commuters in our community.”
This project is part of the largest infrastructure investment in Ontario’s history—more than $130 billion over 10 years, which will support more than 110,000 jobs per year on average, with projects such as roads, bridges, transit systems, schools and hospitals.
Improving daily commutes is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario up. The four-part plan includes investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.
“By adding 70 new parking spots and another 60 in 2016, we are making it easier for GO customers in King City to access the GO network and get to where they need to go. This is further proof of our government’s commitment to making the daily commute and quality of life better for Ontario families,” Del Duca added.
“The additional parking spots at the King City GO station are a welcome addition to constituents in my riding who use GO Transit every day,” said Dr. Helena Jaczek, MPP for Oak Ridges-Markham and Minister of Community and Social Services.
“We’re expanding parking here in King City to make it easier for people to choose transit first. Helping our customers get to and from our GO stations as quickly and conveniently as possible is critical in ensuring our GO Train network can keep them moving in their everyday lives,” said Mary Proc, vice-president of customer services, GO Transit.
Since 2003, the Ontario government has extended GO’s rail network by nearly 90 kilometres, opened 14 new GO stations, rebuilt four existing stations, and added more than 31,000 new parking spots across the system.
With “On the GO” alerts, GO customers can receive e-mails or text messages about any disruption to their commute, along with relevant news and information.
GO Transit carries approximately 68 million passengers per year.