NDP: Uploading Ottawa LRT to Metrolinx won’t fix transit failures

QUEEN’S PARK – Following reports of the Ottawa LRT being uploaded to Metrolinx, Ontario NDP MPP Catherine McKenney (Ottawa Centre) released the following statement:

“Doug Ford and Mark Sutcliffe argue that uploading Ottawa’s light rail network to Metrolinx would solve the ongoing issues surrounding its financing, construction, and maintenance. But is this actually a good deal?

“If the province really wants to end the public transit death, then the solution is stepping up and investing in permanent transit funding, with a new model of funding from the province that is fair and consistent and lets us maintain local control over our network. Like the 50/50 operations cost-sharing partnership we used to have.

“Uploading our LRT to an unaccountable agency with 124 Vice Presidents that funds the same players who brought us years of delays, derailments, and inquiries won’t fix our transit woes.

“Ottawans are used to a cycle of secrecy and negligence when it comes to our LRT system. Do we really trust Metrolinx to break that cycle when history suggests they are no better than what we have now?”