The Ontario Road Builders’ Association (ORBA) has announced that it welcomes the transit and transportation infrastructure investments passed in the Ontario Budget.
In a statement, Geoff Wilkinson of ORBA said that its member companies look forward to playing a key role in delivering on the Ontario government’s ambitious plans to upgrade the province’s transportation and transit infrastructure.
Further, ORBA said it is happy to see that transportation infrastructure continues to be a top priority in the 2015 Ontario Budget. With the passage of Bill 91: Building Ontario Up Act, dedicated funds for Ontario’s transit and transportation investment plan, Moving Ontario Forward, increases by $2.6B for a total of $31.5B over ten years. Consistent and reliable infrastructure funding drives Ontario’s economy, contributing to Ontario’s wealth and productivity, and attracting investment and create jobs.
However, although there are significant investments made in the provincial budget to help municipalities with their infrastructure needs, more still needs to be done. Ontarians need to have a commitment from all levels of government to ensure that substantive measures are being taken to eliminate the staggering infrastructure deficit currently facing municipalities. Municipalities are currently facing an infrastructure deficit of over $60 billion, of which $28 billion accounts for the infrastructure gap for roads and bridges alone.
Ensuring that Ontario’s infrastructure can be maintained, improved and expanded is an important facet in keeping our province and our economy moving forward. An efficient transit and transportation system is essential for a vibrant economy and good quality of life connecting our communities and enabling businesses to get their goods to market added Mr. Wilkinson, who is executive director of ORBA.