Ford government to explore selling naming rights at Metrolinx stations

Ontario is considering the sale of naming rights for GO Transit stations, parking lots and even washrooms in a bid to find new revenue sources for its regional transit network in the Greater Toronto Area.

Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney said Thursday that the government believes the move will increase income for provincial transit operator Metrolinx, and help keep fares low.

“We are looking to maximize the value of Metrolinx assets, properties, and services to increase non-fare revenue while improving services for our customers,” she said in a statement.

The agreements — which could range between five and 10 years — would also provide sponsors with ridership data, although Mulroney noted that it would be stripped of personally identifying information.

“No agreements will be entered into without a thorough and complete process, including approval by the Metrolinx management team and the government,” she said. “Customer privacy is of utmost importance. Any agreements will protect customers’ privacy.”

Consultation launched Thursday

A 60-day consultation with stakeholders on the naming rights proposal launched Thursday.

The government said it is initially seeking interest in the naming rights for five GO Transit stations — Whitby, Pickering, Exhibition, Clarkson and Oakville.

The province could then expand the sale of naming rights to station parking lots, washrooms in stations and on GO trains, and established “quiet zones” on trains. Mulroney said the entire idea is an example of Premier Doug Ford’s efforts to find new revenue sources to bolster government services.

NDP deputy leader Sara Singh said she’s concerned about the sell-off of any customer data to private interests and asked Ontario’s Information and Privacy Commissioner to look into the government proposal.

Singh said Metrolinx should use customer data to provide service improvements for the regional transit system, not to further commercial interests.

“We see this government constantly make things up as they go along,” she said. “With something like this, Ontarians need to be consulted first and they need to understand how their information is going to be used.”

GO Transit’s train and bus network stretches from Peterborough to Niagara Falls and north to Barrie.