The Town of Innisfil is receiving $59,211 from the province to help improve the pedestrian crossing on Queen and Church Streets in Cookstown, Innisfil.
Ontario's Connecting Links Program provides funding to eligible municipalities of up to 90 percent of eligible project costs, to a maximum of $3 million for road projects and $5 million for bridges.
Innisfil has one designated connecting link, Queen Street and Church Street (former Highway 89) in Cookstown.
The town’s 2016 Trails Master Plan recommended a pedestrian crossing on Highway 89 in the vicinity of the Trans-Canada trail.
In 2019, The Town of Innisfil had applied for the same grant for the design portion of the project but was unsuccessful. As the design phase is now complete, the funds will be used for the construction phase of the project.
The funding was announced on Friday, April 9, as part of the province’s commitment of more than $21 billion in highway, road and bridge projects over the next 10 years, which will contribute to Ontario’s COVID-19 recovery.
"By investing in our roads and bridges we're connecting people to jobs, supporting the movement of goods and creating economic growth in local communities," said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. "This funding not only helps municipalities maintain local infrastructure but also supports projects that make roads safer, such as improvements to pedestrian crossings."
Eligible costs include the design, construction, renewal, rehabilitation and replacement of municipal roads and bridges that connect two ends of a provincial highway through a community or to a border crossing.
Currently, pedestrians and bicyclists using the Trans-Canada Trail through Cookstown must go 400 m east of the trail to safely cross former Highway 89 at the intersection of Queen/ Church streets (former Highway 89) and King Street (former Highway 27).
"We’re pleased to receive support from the Ontario Government through the Connecting Links Program to help improve pedestrian crossing on one of our busiest roadways," said Mayor Lynn Dollin. "This funding addresses a critical gap in the Town’s trail network by enhancing connectivity with the existing network and Cookstown’s downtown shopping district.”
