Rideau Canal footbridge gets federal funding in transit agreement

The federal government will help pay for a new footbridge over the Rideau Canal connecting Fifth Avenue and Clegg Street, one of dozens of local projects to benefit from a $1.49-billion transit infrastructure fund detailed Tuesday.

Ottawa MP Catherine McKenna rode her bike to Tuesday's announcement atthefuture site of the pedestrian bridge, where shovels should be in the ground by the fall of2017.

The federal government will contribute $10.5 million half of the cost of the long-plannedfootbridge project to join the Glebe and Old Ottawa East.

• Fifth-Clegg pedestrian bridge could be built straighter and sooner than 2020

That was just one of 57 projects in Ottawa that will share the city's$156-million portion of this first round of federal infrastructure money, which is focused on transit-related projects.The city is expected to match the federal contribution to each project.

Among the other major projects in Ottawa to receive federal funding:

• $45 million for early works and preliminary engineering for Stage 2 of the city's LRT project.
• $20 million to acquire two train sets.
• $15 millionrelated to bus detours during LRT construction.
• $6.8 million to purchase 17 new buses for OC Transpo.
• $6 millionfor the design of the Baseline transit corridor (Bayshore to Billings).
• $5.5 million to improve tracks at arail intersection.
• $4.35 million for "transit priority projects."
• $2.5 million to replace a transit structure on Mann Avenue.
• $2.25 millionfor "smartbus" infrastructure on buses.
• $2.15 million for renewing multi-use pathways in various locations.
• $2 million for various cycling routes in rural areas.

Feds, Ontario sign deal

Earlier Tuesday morning in Barrie, Ont., Prime Minister JustinTrudeauand Ontario Premier KathleenWynneannounced thefederal treasurywill open itscoffers and begin distributing $1.49 billion worth of transit infrastructure funding among cities in Ontario for track upgrades, new buses, shelters and upgrades to stations.

The money is part of the first phase of a $60-billion infrastructure funding plan to pay for projects nationwide over the next 10 years.

This round of funding will cover$688 millionworth of projects in five Ontario cities including Ottawa lined up to be thefirst recipients of the dedicated transit funding.

The federal funds can be used against up to half the costs ofeligible projects; the funding is retroactive to April 1 to coverany costs cities and provinces have incurred since then.