The Board of Sheppard East Village Business Improvement Area (SEV BIA) wishes to recognize a number of developments that should help improve transit in our area, over time.
We commend the Government of Canada, for announcing that it will provide $660 million toward the cost of an extension of the Bloor-Danforth Subway, that would come up to McCowan and Sheppard.
We commend the Government of Ontario, for continuing to support the east end with an investment of over $1.4 billion toward the cost of this subway extension.
We also commend City Council- for voting to provide the balance of required funding that would allow this subway extension to be built, in the future.
Letters of thanks have been sent to the Prime Minister, the Premier and the Mayor, as well as their colleagues, by the Chair of the SEV BIA Board, Al Wakeel.
SEV BIA worked closely with transit planners for over 3 years, regarding their plans for our area, to ensure there will be minimum disruption and maximum benefits for our neighborhood, if their Sheppard Avenue construction plans are ever completed.
We will offer to once again work with transit planners - to help ensure these same goals - when funding, approvals and contracts for the proposed subway extension have been put in place. There will be many issues to be addressed with the construction of a new subway station located in the centre of our Business Improvement Area.
SEV BIA also commends Metrolinx for beginning a process whereby the GO Train line – just west of Midland Avenue – could become an all-day service that would link our neighbourhood directly with Union Station, as well as with Markham.