BRAMPTON: An investment of $113 million in four new public transit projects to improve Brampton’s transit system & create a more sustainable community was announced on Tuesday (July 28).
Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; Kamal Khera, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of International Development and Member of Parliament for Brampton West; 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 Laurie Scott, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure; Amarjot Sandhu,
Member of Provincial Parliament for Brampton West; and Patrick Brown, Mayor of the City of Brampton were on hand to announce the funding.
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.
“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,” an official statement said.
“The pandemic has had a profound impact on the economy. That is why we have been taking decisive action to support families, businesses and communities, and continue to look ahead to see what more can be done.”