Canada and Quebec support the move to electric public transport in the Laval region

LAVAL, QC, Aug. 17, 2018 /CNW/ - The governments of Canada and Quebec recognize that investing in electric public transport is crucial to economic growth, reducing air pollution, and creating inclusive communities where everyone has access to public services and job opportunities.

François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, André Fortin, Minister of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transport Electrification, and Francine Charbonneau, Minister Responsible for Seniors and Anti-Bullying and Minister Responsible for the Laval Region, are pleased to announce that the Société de transport de Laval (STL) will move forward with the procurement of 10 fully electric, 40-foot long buses with the intention of establishing its first line of entirely electric buses by the year 2020.   

In total, the Government of Canada and the Government of Quebec will provide more than $9.6 million in financial support under the federal Gas Tax Fund and Quebec's contribution.

Quotes

"I am pleased to see that the Société de transport de Laval will be using the funding allotted to them under the federal Gas Tax Fund to purchase electric buses, which will ensure a cleaner and greener future for Laval. Investing in public transit infrastructure plays an important role in developing our communities and supports growth that benefits everyone. Through projects like this one, the Government of Canada is helping communities improve residents' mobility and meet growing demand for public transit."

François-Philippe Champagne, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

"The Government of Quebec is firmly committed to accelerating the transition to sustainable transport, in order to become North America's leader in this field.  The support announced today for the procurement of these fully electric buses for the Société de transport de Laval reaffirms our commitment and falls in line with the Plan d'action en électrification des transports 2015?2020."

André Fortin, Minister of Transport, Sustainable Mobility and Transport Electrification

"Today's announcement will help support transport authorities transitioning to fully electric public transport systems. I am proud that the region has become a leader in public transport and innovation. Residents of Laval will benefit from modern transportation infrastructure, which will reduce greenhouse gas emissions and heat islands, and respond to the needs of future generations."

Francine Charbonneau, Minister Responsible for Seniors and Anti-Bullying and Minister Responsible for the Laval Region

"Today, the STL is taking a significant step toward creating its electric bus fleet by awarding the most important contract in Canada for the procurement of electric buses. A leader in electric transport since 2012, the STL is committed to keeping this momentum. By 2023, the STL will only purchase electric buses." 

David De Cotis, President of the Société de transport de Laval

Quick Facts

• Following the call for tenders, which was launched in February of 2018, New Flyer Industries Canada won the contract, having had the lowest bid that met both the technical and commercial requirements of the call. The STL received support from the Association du transport urbain du Québec (ATUQ) at the conclusion of the call for tenders.
• This project is funded through the Programme d'aide aux immobilisations en transport en commun of the Société de financement des infrastructures locales du Québec (SOFIL), which aims to provide financial support to public transport authorities, and to municipalities providing these services, to support the maintenance, improvement and development of their assets.
• The federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) provides more than $2 billion each year to Canadian municipalities, which represents a long-term, ongoing, predictable and indexed source of funding.
• Through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan, 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. $28.7 billion of this funding will support public transit projects, including $5 billion that will be available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
• Over the next 10 years, the Government of Quebec plans to invest over $100.4 billion from the province's infrastructure plan in education, health and transportation to improve families' quality of life and create the conditions that support innovation and economic growth.

Associated Links

Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan:
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/about-invest-apropos-eng.html

Federal investments in infrastructure projects in Quebec: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map-carte/index-eng.html

First annual instalment of the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) in Quebec: https://www.canada.ca/en/office-infrastructure/news/2018/08/building-stronger-communities-across-quebec-with-federal-gas-tax-fund.html

To read the Federal Gas Tax Fund Agreement between Canada and Quebec: http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/prog/agreements-ententes/gtf-fte/2014-qc-eng.html

For more information on how the federal Gas Tax Fund (GTF) is administered in Quebec, please consult the website of the Société de financement des infrastructures locales du Québec (SOFIL): http://www.sofil.gouv.qc.ca

To learn more about the Programme d'aide aux immobilisations en transport en commun of the Société de financement des infrastructures locales du Québec and how the program is implemented: https://www.transports.gouv.qc.ca/fr/aide-finan/transport-collectif/Pages/transport-collectif-personnes-SOFIL.aspx

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada