"We welcome today’s announcements by all three levels of government in response to the urgent need to extend the Spadina subway through York University and to provide interim bus rapid transit to York," Marsden said. "This is wonderful news for our students and the more than 55,000 commuters to York’s campus who have already demonstrated their willingness to switch to environmentally-friendly public transit. This extension through York will make an immense contribution to reducing some of the worst traffic gridlock in the city and will provide a transit gateway to the northwest quadrant of the GTA."

The more than $1 billion in funding announced by Prime Minister Paul Martin, Premier Dalton McGuinty and Mayor David Miller will permit an environmental assessment of the proposed subway route from Downsview Station to the Keele Campus which represents the final hurdle in the campaign to approve the extension and begin work on building the line. The funding for interim bus rapid transit will improve service for York commuters in the immediate short term.

"We are pleased to have the funding to construct interim bus rapid transit to York to deal with the immediate needs of the York community until the subway can be completed," said Ted Spence, senior policy advisor and executive director of institutional research and analysis. "We expect the bus rapid transit to be operational in 2005 and we hope subway construction can begin within 24 months."

More than 1,000 buses a day service the York campus, a large proportion of which come from Downsview station, yet there are still line-ups and traffic gridlock. York University is a community of over 55,000 - 2.5 per cent of the population of the GTA. These numbers guarantee high ridership by the approximately 47,000 York students, 7,500 faculty and staff – as well as more than 7,000 Seneca College students on York’s Keele campus.

"Today marks an historic day for York students and the York community," said Paul Cooper, president of the York Federation of Students. "We are very pleased with the funding commitment that will result ultimately in the extension of the subway to alleviate gridlock and allow students to travel to campus faster and more efficiently. This is good news for the university and the entire region."

York is home to some of the GTA’s worst traffic gridlock with an average of 34,000 car trips made to York’s Keele campus in peak periods.

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