Construction on 902 kilometres (560 mi) of new or improved rapid transit was to start in 2008 and be in place by 2020. The Government of Ontario committed two-thirds of the estimated $17.5 billion cost, and asked the Government of Canada to provide the remaining one-third. Municipalities were not expected to contribute to the capital cost of the projects, but would be responsible for any operating subsidies required.
Simultaneous with the announcement of MoveOntario 2020, the government announced its intention to fund the development of rapid transit in Kitchener-Waterloo in the same fashion as the MoveOntario projects (i.e., a two-thirds commitment, with the federal government paying the balance).[2] Thus while the Kitchener-Waterloo RT project was not a formal part of MoveOntario 2020, the government promised to treat it in the same fashion as the MoveOntario 2020 projects. Despite this, the provincial government would ultimately fund just one third of the project, leaving the Region of Waterloo with a $250 million shortfall to cover, largely through increases to property taxes in the cities of Kitchener and Waterloo.
MoveOntario 2020 initiatives subsequently fell under the umbrella of Metrolinx's regional transportation plan (RTP), called The Big Move. The final version of the RTP was released in November 2008.[5]