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Metrolinx, the regional transit authority, formally approved its $50- billion plan for transit expansion Friday and quickly recommended funding for the expansion of York's BY DAVID PLBISCHER Staff Writer The GTA has a new regional tran- sit plan and Viva is among the first beneficiaries. 22 W' Sun-Wml Thurflyl Dec. 4, 2008 Viva among priorities in $78 capital plan Viva bus transit. The construction of bus-only rapidways on Hwy. 7 and Yonge Street was listed as among the 15 priority projects that could be immediately implemented as part of a $7-billion, five-year capital plan. Avenue, conr Scarborough. “Wearecor construction ate almost 43 In the first 1 tion alone, tl estimated 17 Also approved were plans to con- struct light rail transit on Sheppard Avenue, connecting the subway to “We are confident that the (plan's) construction program will gener- ate almost 430,000 jobs in Ontario. In the first full year of construc- tion alone, the plan will create an estimated 17,000 jobs,” Metrolinx chairperson Rob Maclsaac said. Métrolinx is digging into the $1 1.5 A Viva bus travels southbound in Aurora on its way to the Richmond Hill terminal. Under a new regional transit plan for the GTA, Viva would be one of the first services to receive funding for expansion; Metrolinx, the regional transit authority, formally approved a $50B transit plan. billion set aside by the province for its prioritized transit projects. Those also includé the Yonge and Spadina subway gxtensipns. 7 ' _ A first phase of “quick win” proj acts is already under way. Funding for a third phase of proj- ects remains to be determined. A 2013 report by Metrolinx will lay out options, possibly including some By the end of Metrolinx’s 25-year vision, more than 80 per cent of people in the GTHA will live with in two kilometres of rapid transit, compared to just 42 per cent now. form of road tolls They hope twice as many people as now will take advantage of tranâ€" sit, reducing overall commute times even as the population grows. SUN-TRIBUNE FILE PHOTO