Mayor John Tory pushing province for 'hard commitments' for relief line funding

Mayor John Tory was at Queen subway station a potentialstarting point for the future downtown relief line on Friday morning to reiterate a call for the province to commit to matching federal transit investments.

• City may stop Yonge subway extension if province doesn't fund downtown relief line, mayor says

Tory continues topushthe province to commit to more capital funding for the potential relief line, which is still in the planning phases and isn't expect to be open until 2031.

"We need the commitments,hard commitments,on the money to build it," Tory told CBC Toronto on Thursday, following a meeting with other big city mayors from across Canada.

Queen's Park has provided some $150 million to help study the relief line, but has said repeatedly that it's too soon to commit money to the project.

Transportation Minister Steven DelDucareiterated that funding commitment on Friday, saying more planning work needs to be done before the province gives more to the project.

AhmedHussen, the federal immigration minister, highlighted some $27 million Ottawa has already provided for the project, and touted the major infrastructure investments coming from the federal government in the coming years.

Tory said he's confident the federal government will be providing its share of infrastructure money for the relief line and other transit projects in the city.