Transportation planners are gearing up for the next wave of the massive transit expansion project known as The Big Move to connect transit lines throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA). Ontario and the City of Toronto are planning to expand ridership with Metrolinx and the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) by expanding TTC subway lines and Go Train Stations, with a total of 200 projects already underway.

However, not all Ontario residents believe The Big Move is beneficial financially, and it looks as though completion of the projects will be a long road ahead.

So far, Go Transit Stations in the Durham Region have been expanded, and The Union Pearson Express — a direct rail link between Pearson International Airport and Union Station — has already been completed. Go Transit services in the rest of the GTHA are currently under construction until the end of the summer.

When the dust settles and final payments are made, Phase 1 could cost the province of Ontario over $30 billion. Meanwhile, The Big Move Phase 2 construction dates will be set within the next year.

The Big Move was proposed in 2008 to help create jobs, decrease greenhouse gas emissions, reduce commute times, and overall improve the quality of life for Ontario residents by 2035. Currently, commuters are spending over $1,600 per year on transit fares, and an average roundtrip commute is over 80 minutes.

As one of the most recent expansion projects to be approved, the City of Toronto announced a $55 million for the Yonge subway extension, allowing commuters to travel further down the TTC Yonge north line.

"Under our Moving Ontario Forward plan, our government is committed to providing accessible, modern transit infrastructure that will manage congestion, reduce commute times, create jobs and improve the quality of life for Ontarians," Ontario's transportation minister Steven Del Duca said in a release.

The city has also announced a $150 million expansion for a downtown Toronto relief subway line. This is expected to be built in the next 12 to 15 years — making commuters and homeowners doubt the city's initial proposal.

While councilors are on board with the project, residents have expressed their concerns regarding the possibility of losing their homes for new subway stops in the expansion. According to CityNews, the proposed Scarborough subway extension caused concern for residents after the city sent a letter issued by the TTC saying a new stop will run underneath their homes.

Scott Cole, who has lived in his Scarborough bungalow for 26 years with his wife, told CityNews he will fight to stay in his home: "Even if I lose in court they're going to have to take me out of here. I'm never leaving my home."

With an outcry from residents and commuters, Metrolinx is also considering changing its fare system across the entire region. Transit riders have expressed their concerns regarding cost for low-income riders, as the ongoing expansions will increase prices.

In recent weeks, hundreds of transit riders protested outside city hall in Toronto ahead of a TTC meeting. Accessibility has become an issue for commuters, forcing riders to choose between food and transit.

The goal is to eliminate separate fares in different regions and create a standard one-price ticket for all transit systems. Metrolinx has put forward three fare integration scenarios, in hopes to allow riders to pass between systems either for free or for a small co-fare.

"To be able to travel right across Toronto with one fare is a huge benefit, and I think very, very clearly, is one of the reasons why Toronto has such high proportional ridership compared to transit systems across North America," Chris Upfold, the TTC's chief customer officer, told the Toronto Star.

MetroLinx is continuing to announce new expansions throughout the province, while the concern of funding has become questionable. Recently, MetroLinx announced four new Go Train Stations, bringing a total of six new Go Train Stations from the original two that were proposed in 2008.

Production for these stations is expected to start in the next two to three years, with the hopes of attracting more than 300,000 daily riders. The Go Train will expand a total of 20 kilometers and is expected to run by 2024.

However, there is no word of how much this expansion will cost the province, thus prompting even more concern for residents.

To view The Big Move project map and for more information click here. To view what the TTC map could look like in 2035 click here.