Canada and Ontario invest in sustainable public transit for Brampton residents

The Voice of Canada News:

BRAMPTON—The safety and well-being of Canadians are top priorities of the governments of Canada and Ontario. But the COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than Canadians’ personal health, it is also having a profound impact on the economy.

That is why governments have been taking decisive action to support families, businesses and communities, and continue to look ahead to see what more can be done.

Ontarians need help getting safely to work and home, getting out to appointments, to shop and to conduct business. Strategic investments in sustainable public transportation infrastructure play a key role.

Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Kamal Khera, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development and Member of Parliament for Brampton West; the Honourable Prabmeet Singh Sarkaria, Ontario’s Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction, and Member of Provincial Parliament for Brampton South on behalf of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure; Amarjot Sandhu, Member of Provincial Parliament for Brampton West; and His Worship Patrick Brown, Mayor of the City of Brampton today announced funding for four projects that will improve Brampton’s transit system and create a more sustainable community.

Projects include the purchase of 32 conventional buses to maintain service levels and replace the retiring fleet. Over the next four years, 300 hybrid and conventional buses will be refurbished, making them more reliable for riders and extending their use. On-board cameras and digital video recorders will be replaced with newer technologies on the entire bus fleet, which will increase rider and driver safety.

In addition, a new transit hub will increase the number of bus bays in the existing terminal, doubling the number of trips the hub can accommodate. The hub will allow for a possible future switch to electric buses, and will include an inside waiting area and concessions. These improvements will increase the capacity and quality of the transit system for users.

The Government of Canada is investing over $45.3 million in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The Government of Ontario is contributing more than $37.8 million, while the City of Brampton is contributing over $30.2 million.

QUICK FACTS

Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.

$28.7 billion of this funding is supporting public transit projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
The Government of Canada has invested more than $7.7 billion in over 2,500 infrastructure projects across Ontario under the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan.

Across the province, Ontario is investing more than $7.3 billion in public transit infrastructure over 10 years through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program.