FRANCAIS

July 14, 2005

Transportation and Government Services Minister Ron Lemieux today received the recommendations of the 2020 – Manitoba’s Transport Vision report from 2020 Steering Committee chair Daryl Reid, MLA for Transcona.

"The steering committee and all participants are to be thanked for their efforts," said Lemieux. "The committee consulted extensively with the community and stakeholders and their response, which is detailed in this report, will serve as the road map showing us the way forward."

A major theme of the report, drawn from the public consultation process, includes the need for increased funding to maintain and expand existing infrastructure.

The Manitoba government has undertaken a number of initiatives since 1999 to address infrastructure needs in Manitoba:

• The Building Manitoba Fund, which was announced in the 2005 budget, will see municipalities receive the equivalent of $165 million in fuel-tax revenues over the next five years, ensuring that communities will receive more funding.

• The province has spent $1 billion on transportation since 1999. Funding for highway construction works has increased to $145 million this year, up from $105 million in 1998-99.

• The province puts all provincial fuel tax back into Manitoba transportation in addition to millions of dollars more.

• The highway capital construction budget was again increased this year in support of several major projects underway including twinning of the Trans-Canada Highway to the Saskatchewan border, four-laning of the north perimeter highway (PTH 101) and twinning of PTH 59 south to south of Ile des Chênes.

• More than $130 million has been spent on northern transportation infrastructure. An average of 25 per cent of the highways capital budget has been allocated to the North for five consecutive budgets.

• The province has provided $16 million as part of the Canada/Manitoba Prairie Grain Roads program for special support to rural highways.

• Provincial spending has more than doubled on winter roads since 1999, from
  $1.4 million in 1998-99 to $3.2 million in 2004-05. Significant progress has been made on relocating winter roads from ice crossings to land for safety and sustainability reasons. Including federal government contributions, the winter road budget for 2005-06 is $6.1 million.

• Manitoba has increased the provincial share of budgeted capital expenditures for northern airports by 190 per cent to $4.7 million in 2005-06 from $1.6 million in 1998-99.

"Manitobans have provided us with direction that will build on our solid record of increasing investments to meet the needs of the province’s transportation network," said Lemieux. "We will be examining the report and recommendations in more detail in order to provide further positive commitment of resources and long-term strategic planning to protect the transportation system’s role in our economy. We will also be accepting more suggestions and feedback as we move forward."

Lemieux added the report will be made available to the public at http://www.gov.mb.ca/tgs/2020transport once it is reviewed. Comments on the report may be sent to his office at Room 203, Legislative Building, Winnipeg, MB R3C 0V8.

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