Governments of Canada and Ontario invest in public transit in Belleville

BELLEVILLE, ON, Dec. 14, 2017 /CNW/ - Investing in public infrastructure supports efficient, affordable and sustainable transit services that help Canadians and their families get to work, school and essential services on time and back home safely at the end of a long day. The governments of Canada and Ontario are making investments that will help create well-paying jobs and grow the middle class now while building a strong foundation for a sustainable economic future.

Neil R. Ellis, Member of Parliament for Bay of Quinte, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Jeff Leal, Minister Responsible for Small Business and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Del Duca, Ontario Minister of Transportation; and His Worship Taso A. Christopher, Mayor of the City of Belleville, today announced $500,000 in funding for a new transit project through the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund that will benefit the residents of Belleville. The Government of Canada and the City of Belleville are each providing up to $250,000 for this project.

The City of Belleville will use the funding to purchase and install 17 new fareboxes for the City's transit buses. The new fareboxes will help make fare transfers faster and more efficient for riders. This project will support the growth of Belleville's public transit system while also improving the experience for transit riders.

This investment is part of an agreement between Canada and Ontario for the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.

Quotes

"The Government of Canada recognizes how important affordable and efficient transit infrastructure is to growing the middle class and getting Canadians to where they need to go. This project will help to make Belleville public transit more efficient and modern, and will contribute to ensuring that our community remains among the best places in the world to live, work and raise a family."

Neil R. Ellis, Member of Parliament for Bay of Quinte, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"As a government, we believe in making investments to build up rural Ontario for the 21st century. These upgrades will help make our transit system more efficient and reliable, improving the experience for transit riders and benefitting our entire community. I am pleased to be working with my federal and municipal counterparts to bring better transit options to Belleville."

The Honourable Jeff Leal, Minister Responsible for Small Business and Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, on behalf of the Honourable Steven Del Duca, Ontario Minister of Transportation

"The fareboxes being purchased for the City of Belleville are equipped with the latest technology available, allowing fare payment to be made with smart cards, and soon debit cards, credit cards and even your phone. These fareboxes will serve us well for the foreseeable future. These upgrades to our Transit technology will revolutionize the transit experience for riders in the City of Belleville."

His Worship Taso A. Christopher, Mayor of the City of Belleville

Quick facts

• 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.
• $25.3 billion of this funding will support public transit projects, including $5 billion that will be available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
• Since 2004, the Government of Ontario has committed more than $3.7 billion to municipalities across the province through the provincial gas tax program. This funding supports municipal transit systems.

Associated links

Government of Canada's $180-billion+ infrastructure plan: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/about-invest-apropos-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