Subjects: CPG, CFG
Canada and Ontario invest in improved public transit for residents of Hamilton
HAMILTON, ON, July 19, 2021 /CNW/ - Building public transit is essential to creating jobs and sustaining economic growth. To support these goals, we must prioritize measures that will build the public transit systems Canada needs now, and in the future. Investing in public transit supports Canadians through the pandemic, positions Canada for recovery by creating good jobs and supporting Canadian companies, and transforms our society for a cleaner, better future.
That is why, together, the governments of Canada and Ontario are taking decisive action to help families, businesses and communities as they adapt to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Today, the Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West?Ancaster?Dundas; Stan Cho, Associate Minister of Transportation; and His Worship Fred Eisenberger, Mayor of Hamilton, announced joint funding for seven projects to improve public transit and provide additional active transportation options to Hamilton residents.
The Government of Canada is investing over $201.8 million in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure program. The Government of Ontario is providing more than $168.2 million, and the City of Hamilton is contributing over $148.8 million to these projects.
Among the projects funded, the construction of a new 60,000 square metre public transit maintenance and storage facility that will include a 30-bus maintenance area, storage for 200 conventional size buses, approximately 4000 square metres of administration space, and a four-level parking structure. Once completed, the new facility will improve the capacity of public transit infrastructure in the City and improve the quality and safety of the existing and future transit system.
In addition, improvements to Hamilton's bus transit network and upgrades to the City's 16 km-long A-Line rapid transit corridor will result in a faster and more reliable public transit experience. The upgrades involve the construction of five new queue jump lines and 17 km of new sidewalks along 12 different segments of rapid transit roadway, the implementation of transit signal priority measures at various intersections, and improvements to approximately 19 transit stops along the corridor.
Once completed, these projects will contribute to the City of Hamilton's network of BLAST corridors designed to connect residents from the lower city, to the mountain, to the waterfront and the airport. This gives Hamilton the tools to deliver exceptional transit to move within the city, and conveniently access regional transportation choices.
All orders of government continue to work together for the people of Ontario to make strategic infrastructure investments in communities across the province when needed most.
Quotes
"Safe and reliable public transit systems contribute to making Canadian communities good places to live, work, and raise families. The Government of Canada is investing over $200 million in Hamilton's public transit system, to improve the A-Line Rapid Transit Corridor, purchase new buses, construct new bike paths, and support a new storage and maintenance facility. Building on our historic investment in the Hamilton LRT, this investment will reduce commute times and help workers, students, seniors and families across Hamilton and beyond get where they need to go faster, cleaner and in affordable ways. Canada's infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, tackles climate change and builds more inclusive communities."
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
"Hamilton is an ambitious and growing city, and accessible public transit is crucial to our future. Today's announcement, which includes funding to support Hamilton's bus network, is yet another important step forward towards creating a clean, modern public transit system that will connect communities across our city. I'm proud to be part of a government that recognizes the potential of our city and continues to make investments that will improve the lives of Hamiltonians."
The Honourable Filomena Tassi, Minister of Labour and Member of Parliament for Hamilton West?Ancaster?Dundas
"The provincial government is committed to supporting Ontarians as we continue to fight through the COVID-19 pandemic and look towards recovery. Our $168.2 million investment to support seven Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP) projects will help Hamilton maintain and improve public transit options that will go a long way in supporting growth, create local jobs and help provide residents with the reliable and convenient transit they deserve."
Stan Cho, Associate Minister of Transportation
"This funding, along with the federal government's previously announced support for Hamilton's LRT project, together represent an historic, generational investment in transit in Hamilton. This will allow us to expand transit like never before, making it faster, more affordable, more reliable and more convenient. This in turn will attract more riders than ever before, which in turn makes roads less congested and is good for the environment. The federal government is a wonderful partner in Hamilton's transit aspirations and I thank Minister McKenna and Prime Minister Trudeau for making all this possible. The Ontario government is also a wonderful partner and I thank Minister Caroline Mulroney and Premier Doug Ford for their strong support for public transit."
Fred Eisenberger, Mayor of Hamilton
Quick facts
- Through the Investing in Canada 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.
- Through the Investing in Canada plan, the Government of Canada is already investing $28.7 billion to support public transit projects, including $5 billion available for investment through the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
- On February 10, 2021 the Government of Canada announced a plan for $14.9 billion in new public transit funding over eight years, including $2.5 billion over 5 years starting this year as well as a portion of the $3 billion in ongoing annual transit funding beginning in 2026-27 to expand transit systems in large urban centres by enabling key, high-readiness major transit projects to advance. It will do this by supporting transit projects entering the construction phase in the near-future, and also helping to plan major transit projects that will be constructed down the road.
- Across Ontario, the Government of Canada has invested more than $14.2 billion in over 3,800 infrastructure projects.
- Ontario is investing $10.2 billion under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to improve public transit; community, culture and recreation; green, and rural and northern community infrastructure. 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.
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Backgrounder
Residents of Hamilton to benefit from improvements to public transit infrastructure
Joint federal, provincial and municipal funding through the Investing in Canada plan will support seven public transit projects in the City of Hamilton.
The Government of Canada is investing over $201.8 million in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure program, and the Government of Ontario is providing more than $168.2 million.
Project Information:
Project Name | Project Description | Federal | Provincial | Municipal |
Replacement of Birch Avenue Bridge and Associated Road Work /Construction of Salt Management Facility | Replacement of a rail bridge, the completion of associated road work, and the construction of a salt management facility. This includes the replacement of Birch Avenue bridge, the reconstruction of 800 metres of road, the installation of a storm water pump station and applicable pipe reconfiguration to manage road drainage, the installation of approximately 97 metres of the water main, and the construction of a salt management facility. | $15,986,000 | $13,320,335 | $10,658,666 |
Dispatching and AVL Hardware and Software Replacement | Installation of new dispatch and automatic vehicle location systems on buses in the transit fleet to provide automated real-time detour and service interruption information to transit users. | $3,600,000 | $2,999,700 | $2,400,300 |
Expansion of Transit Fleet to Support Service Growth | Purchase of up to 85 forty-foot Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses, which will enable the City of Hamilton to expand its fleet and increase public transit service by an additional 300,000 service hours by 2026, in accordance with the city's 10-Year Transit Strategy. | $29,333,600 | $24,442,222 | $19,558,178 |
Construction of Active Transportation Connections | Construction of an approximately 185 m active transportation bridge, 1.4 km of new bike paths, 420m of upgraded bike paths, 3.4 km of new multi-use connections to transit, and up to 500 new bike parking spaces (including sheltered and long-term secure parking). The project also includes 30 new bike-share stations, repairs to existing damaged bike-share stations, and approximately 17.8km of new sidewalks. | $3,920,000 | $3,266,340 | $2,613,660 |
Implement Priority Bus Measures along A-Line Corridor | Implementation of priority bus movement on the 16 km-long A-Line rapid transit route. Work includes the construction of five new queue jump lanes, the implementation of transit signal priority measures at approximately 26 intersections, improvements to approximately 19 transit stops along the corridor, and approximately 17 km of new sidewalk construction along 12 different segments of rapid transit roadway to provide improved active transportation connection options to public transit users. | $3,400,000 | $2,833,050 | $2,266,950 |
Replacement of Transit Fleet | Replacement of conventional buses in the Hamilton transit fleet. This involves the procurement of approximately 92 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses to replace buses that have reached the end of their lifecycle. This will include 40' buses (approximately 72) and 60' buses (approximately 20). | $45,630,800 | $38,021,864 | $30,424,336 |
New Maintenance & Storage Facility | Construction of a new 60,000 square metre public transit maintenance and storage facility. The facility will include a 30 bus maintenance area, two indoor compressed natural gas fueling lanes, 2 bus wash rack systems, storage for 200 conventional size buses, approximately 4,000 sq. m of administration space, and a four-level parking structure to accommodate approximately 400 parking spaces for employees. | $100,000,000 | $83,325,000 | $80,970,000 |
Associated links
Strengthened Climate Plan:
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html
Investing in Canada Plan Project Map:
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/map
Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario:
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-on-eng.html
Investing in Canada: Canada's Long-Term Infrastructure Plan:
http://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/icp-publication-pic-eng.html
Ontario Builds Project Map: https://www.ontario.ca/page/building-ontario
Hamilton's Ten Year Local Transit Strategy
(Re)envision the HSR
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SOURCE Infrastructure Canada
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