Governments of Canada and Ontario, and the City of Toronto invest in 1,738 new and revitalized buses in Toronto, improve public transit for commuters

New buses will result in shorter wait times, more reliable service and increased accessibility

TORONTO, April 23, 2018 /CNW/ - Investing in public infrastructure supports efficient, affordable and sustainable transit services that help Canadians and their families get to work, school and appointments on time and back home safely at the end of a long day.

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Kathryn McGarry, Ontario Minister of Transportation; His Worship John Tory, Mayor of the City of Toronto; and Councillor Josh Colle, Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission, today announced the purchase of 1,043 new buses and the revitalization of 695 current buses as part of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Bus Purchase and Bus Rebuild project.

The total investment is $934 million with the Government of Canada providing more than $442 million through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund while the City of Toronto is providing the remaining costs of $492 million.

The project will ensure that the TTC's bus fleet remains in a state of good repair and is able to meet Toronto's future ridership demands. Not only will this project mean that people will be able to get around the City faster and more easily, but it will also help to improve operational efficiency, accessibility and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Also announced today was joint funding of over $20 million for 15 new public transit projects across Ontario. These projects include cycling infrastructure improvements, new active transportation routes, and the purchase of new buses.

These investments are part of an agreement between Canada and Ontario for the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.

Quotes

"We are proud to support one of the largest bus purchase and rebuild projects in the City of Toronto's history. As a former bus driver, I know how important it is for people to have safe, accessible, reliable buses to get to and from school, work and appointments. This bus purchase will mean better transit for people in Toronto and it is part of the government's commitment to improve infrastructure across Canada."

The Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"This is a great day for commuters and families in Toronto who rely on public transit to get around our city. We're committed to working with municipalities and the federal government to invest in public transit, to reduce congestion, enhance service and improve the environment."

The Honourable Kathryn McGarry, Ontario Minister of Transportation

"Every day, the lives and livelihoods of Toronto residents depend on being able to move around our city quickly, safely and reliably. Maintaining our existing bus fleet and adding more buses on our roads will bring transit into every neighbourhood of our city. There is no area where collaboration and cooperation is more essential than in keeping our residents moving. Together, we will make Toronto's transit system faster, stronger, safer and more accessible to everyone in every part of our city."

His Worship John Tory, Mayor of the City of Toronto

"It is great to see that all levels of government are committed to supporting the TTC's efforts to modernize our transit system by making the investments that will allow us to upgrade our bus fleet. This funding will mean a more comfortable and reliable experience for our customers while at the same time encouraging new ridership and offering more service on our busiest routes."

Councillor Josh Colle, Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission

Quick facts

• The Bus Purchase component of this project involves the purchase of 729 clean diesel buses, 254 second generation hybrid electric buses, and 60 battery electric buses.
• The Bus Rebuild component of this project involves rebuilding 695 total buses in the current TTC fleet.
• The Government of Canada is also investing more than $10 million for 15 other public transit projects in four communities across Ontario.
• The Government of Canada will invest 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.
• Since 2003, the Government of Ontario has committed more than $4.9 billion to the City of Toronto to help improve and expand its transit system.

Related product

The Governments of Canada and Ontario team up with municipalities to announce new public transit projects

Backgrounder

The Governments of Canada and Ontario team up with municipalities to announce new public transit projects

In addition to the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) Bus Purchase and Bus Rebuild project, 15 additional transit projects have been approved under the Canada-Ontario Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF) agreement, which will result in better transit for Ontarians. Projects like planning and design work in the City of Burlington and Regional Municipality of Durham as well as active transportation investments in the Lanark County and City of Toronto will help people move around their communities faster and more safely.

The Government of Canada is providing Ontario communities with over $1.48 billion under PTIF, and will fund up to 50 per cent of the eligible project costs. Since 2016, 655 projects in over 83 communities across Ontario have received public transit funding under Phase 1 of the government's long-term plan, helping Ontarians get to work, school and appointments. In addition, $8.34 billion in public transit funding over the next 10 years will deliver results in communities across Ontario.

As part of the bilateral agreement with Ontario, the following 15 projects across Ontario have been approved for federal funding amounting to more than $10 million.

Ultimate Recipient	Project Name	Federal Funding	Anticipated Start Date
Burlington, City of	Business Plan Development Consulting Work	$75,000	March 31, 2018
Durham, Regional Municipality of	Design and Utility Investigations for Advancing Highway 2 Bus Rapid Transit	$831,000	January 1, 2018
Durham, Regional Municipality of	Durham Region Transit Fleet Procurement – 4 New Buses	$1,201,266	January 1, 2018
Lanark, County of	Resurfacing of the Ottawa Valley Recreation Trail	$39,370	Project completed
Lanark, County of	Bridge Repairs	$34,867	Project completed
Toronto, City of	Surface Transit Operational Improvement Studies – Phase 1	$118,125	October 1, 2017
Toronto, City of	Glen Road Pedestrian Bridge	$240,000	March 1, 2018
Toronto, City of	Installation of Cycling Facilities on Woodbine Avenue	$250,000	January 16, 2016
Toronto, City of	Emery Village Road 2A	$265,000	March 1, 2018
Toronto, City of	Bentway Improvements	$490,000	June 1, 2017
Toronto, City of	Finch West TMP/Goods Movement Strategy	$600,000	October 1, 2017
Toronto, City of	Installation of Cycling Facilities on Lakeshore Boulevard West	$600,000	October 1, 2017
Toronto, City of	King Street Pilot Implementation	$750,000	January 1, 2017
Toronto, City of	Living Yonge	$1,745,934	September 1, 2018
Toronto, City of	Toronto 360 Wayfinding	$2,950,000	January 17, 2017

Associated links

Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan:
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/site/alt-format/pdf/plan/icp-pic/IC-InvestingInCanadaPlan-ENG.pdf

Investing in Canada plan project map: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/gmap-gcarte/index-eng.html

Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map-carte/on-eng.html

The Public Transit Infrastructure Fund: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/ptif-fitc-eng.php

Building Ontario - Infrastructure Plan: https://www.ontario.ca/page/building-ontario

Twitter: @INFC_eng

Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

For further information: Brook Simpson, Press Secretary, Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, 613-219-0149, [e-mail]; Celso Pereira, Minister's Office, Ontario Ministry of Transportation, 647-201-9348, [e-mail]; Don Peat, Director of Communications, Mayor's Office, 647-459-2387, [e-mail], Deborah Blackstone, Strategic Communications, City of Toronto, 416-392-7377, [e-mail]; Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [e-mail]

Related Links

http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/