Renewed facilities will contribute to economic prosperity
TORONTO - The Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure Ontario released today a request for qualifications (RFQ) to shortlist teams to design, build, finance, maintain and operate Highway Service Centres on Highways 400 and 401.
“Ontario's highway service centres are important to travelers as they provide a safe place to rest, eat, and re-fuel,” said Transportation Minister Donna Cansfield. “We want to provide the public with modern service centres that provide better and innovative services.”
There are 23 highway service centres located in Southern Ontario, currently leased and operated by one of three fuel companies: Shell, Imperial Oil or Petro Canada. The majority of the long-term leases are about to expire. The province is looking for a single operator who will renew the sites and offer quality services to the traveling public.
“Ontario's population and our local tourism industry are growing -- modern, efficient service centres will help to showcase Ontario as a prime destination,” said David Caplan, Minister of Public Infrastructure Renewal. “The government is committed to updating and renewing infrastructure across the province, in particular those that contribute to the safety, well-being and economic prosperity of all Ontarians.”
“Service centres play an important role in welcoming visitors to Ontario,” said Jim Bradley, Minister of Tourism. “Providing premium amenities help visitors to have a memorable visit to our great province and make them want to come back again.”
Any operator leasing the facilities will be required to incorporate road safety initiatives, which could include additional space and services to provide rest opportunities for truckers.
Ontario's service centres have direct access to the highways. They are open 24 hours per day, seven days per week, year-round, and currently offer fuel, food, public washrooms, drinking water, parking, picnic areas and public telephones to motorists.
The service centres project is the first transportation project to be delivered under the Province's Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) program. Unlike other infrastructure projects where the government pays the private sector for infrastructure renewal, the selected operator of the service centres will pay for their redevelopment and provide an ongoing source of revenue to the Province.
“This type of private sector redevelopment and revenue sharing model has the potential to provide significant value for money to taxpayers, while providing improved services and facilities to the traveling public,” says Derek Burleton, Senior Economist, Toronto Dominion Bank.
Once qualified operators have been short-listed, they will be invited to respond to a Request for Proposals (RFP), to be released in winter 2007/2008.
The Ontario Ministry of Transportation will manage the project with Infrastructure Ontario, an arm's length Crown Corporation dedicated to the renewal of the province's hospitals, courthouses and other essential public assets.
Using an Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) model that ensures appropriate public control and ownership, Infrastructure Ontario uses private financing for large-scale and complex projects to strategically rebuild vital infrastructure, on time and on budget.
All infrastructure projects will be guided by the principles in the government's Building a Better Tomorrow framework, ensuring public ownership of core public assets such as hospitals, schools and water and wastewater facilities.
Visit www.infrastructureontario.ca for more information.
Contacts:
Jamie Rilett
Minister's Office
Ministry of Transportation
416-327-9134
Bob Nichols
Ministry of Transportation
416-327-1158
Amy Tang
Minister's Office
Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal
416-325-4048
Doug DeRabbie
Infrastructure Ontario
416-326-1006