Stevens: St. Catharines deserves better than Metrolinx’s broken promises

ST. CATHERINES – NDP MPP Jennie Stevens (St. Catherines) is raising concerns about the Ford government’s lack of transparency and unstable commitment to meaningful transit expansion in St. Catharines and Niagara region.

“Real progress means giving the people in our community choices, especially reliable, two-way, all-day GO services,” said Stevens. “You can’t claim to be tackling gridlock while actively scaling back on the very transit options that would get cars off the road.”

During this morning’s press conference, Minister Sarkaria and Minister Surma declined to comment on the cost of the Skyway twinning project, saying that due to procurement reasons they would not be able to disclose actual costs.

Recent reports also reveal that, behind closed doors, Metrolinx leadership described running two-way, all-day GO trains as being ‘misaligned with their mandate’ raising serious concerns about whether the Ford government and its agencies are truly committed to delivering the transit service Niagara residents have been promised.

“Niagara residents deserve accountability. When billions of tax dollars are being spent, people deserve reliable transit and expect straight answers. Especially when Metrolinx officials are now quietly walking back transit promises with zero explanation or transparency from this government. It’s unacceptable,” said Stevens.