LONDON BIKE LANES AND ROAD CONSTRUCTION BENEFIT FROM FEDERAL GAS TAX FUND

London, Ontario, September 11, 2009 – Ed Holder, Member of Parliament for London West, and London City Councillor Paul Hubert painted the final bicycle sign on one of London’s newest bike lanes on King Street today. Bike lane construction and road improvements are just two examples of the major infrastructure projects in London worth more than $54 million that have been funded through the federal Gas Tax Fund over the last five years.

“Our Government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Stephen Harper, is supporting infrastructure priorities in communities like London and across the country,” said MP Holder. “We are pleased to partner in this bike lane project that will ultimately improve air quality and reduce traffic congestion in London.”

“We are very grateful to the federal government for recognizing the need to support municipalities in maintaining and upgrading basic infrastructure like roads, bridges and water and sewer pipes”, said Councillor Hubert, on behalf of London Mayor Anne Marie DeCicco-Best.

“The federal Gas Tax Fund acknowledges that all orders of government must work together to address the pressing need for infrastructure investment in Ontario,” said Peter Hume, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). “The funding is supporting hundreds of important infrastructure projects and is critical to job creation, Ontario's competitiveness and environmental sustainability.”

In 2009, the City of London received federal Gas Tax funding of $21,870,415, double the amount of 2008, and $320,000 of this funding was invested in the creation of new bike lanes. Other local projects that have benefited from federal Gas Tax funding include the widening of Wonderland and Western roads, major upgrades to bridges on Oxford Street and repair and resurfacing of major roads such as King Street, Horton Street, Highbury Avenue, Baseline and Wellington roads.