The Government of Canada will set aside up to $600 million for the City of Ottawa's Transit Plan, the Hon. John Baird, Canada's Transport and Infrastructure Minister and Member of Parliament for Ottawa West-Nepean, announced Tuesday.

In addition to this funding, the Government of Canada provides the City of Ottawa with approximately $50 million per year from the federal Gas Tax Fund, which the city has chosen to dedicate to public transit improvements. 

This investment in Ottawa transit will help the city achieve its goal to increase public transit use to 30 percent by 2031, create local jobs, reduce traffic congestion, help protect the environment, and improve the quality of life for residents.

The Government of Canada's funding for transit improvements in Ottawa is conditional on both the City of Ottawa and Province of Ontario committing $600 million each towards the initiative and on the approval by Ottawa City Council of a final business case defining a specific project that fits within the funding.