The Ontario government has announced an $80 million expansion of the O-Train into Riverside South.

On Thursday, Ottawa area MPPs and a handful of city councillors were on hand for the funding announcement. MPP Bob Chiarelli said his government will contribute $50 million to extend the trillium line into Riverside South with another $30 million coming from development charges on new homes built in the area. 

"This will bring LRT to where people will work, live and play and it will help help the community grow in a smarter, more sustainable fashion," said Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. 

The expansion will allow the Trillium Line to be extended beyond the proposed last stop at Bowesville to just west of Limebanki Road, where the population is growing quickly. Roughly 15,000 new homes or 40,000 new residents are expected to more into the region within the next ten years. 

"All along the Bronson and Bank Street Corridor, this will make a difference in congestion and traffic," said MPP John Fraser. "At the end of the day what that means is that people can get home sooner to their families and that is really important."

The extension will also make it easier for OC Transpo to link Barrhaven to the O-Train by bus.

The provincial government is driving this new stop, meaning the city is not on the line financially. As such, the expansion into Riverside South hinges on the Liberals winning the upcoming June election. Mayor Jim Watson said he will be highlighting the importance of this new route to local candidates during the provincial campaign.

"On this part, the city is not contributing but we are obviously contributing on the overall line," the mayor said. "This will be one of the questions I send out to candidates on my survey, to make sure they understand how important this project is. There will be one question on overall LRT and one question on this project. I hope to have a positive answer."