Today, the Honourable Heather Stefanson, Premier of Manitoba; Kevin Lamoureux, Parliamentary Secretary to the Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities; Terry Duguid, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change; Honourable Reg Helwer, Manitoba Minister of Labour, Consumer Protection and Government Services; and His Worship Brian Bowman, Mayor of the City of Winnipeg, announced funding to improve the City of Winnipeg's public transit infrastructure.
Expanding and strengthening public transit
The Government of Canada, the Government of Manitoba, and the City of Winnipeg will together invest in:
· The purchase of approximately 100 electric buses and the necessary charging and fueling infrastructure;
· The purchase of 135 additional diesel buses to meet growing transit needs;
· And the construction of a new LEED-certified energy efficient bus storage and maintenance facility, to replace the 70-year old North Garage.
Subject to the necessary approvals process, the Government of Canada will invest up to $183.7 million towards these projects. The Government of Manitoba will provide over $153 million, while the City of Winnipeg will contribute more than $122 million.
An efficient and accessible transit system
The Government of Canada, the Government of Manitoba, and the City of Winnipeg will also invest in:
· A redesign of the Winnipeg Transit network and the preliminary design for the proposed downtown Rapid Transit corridors.
· Introduction of Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) on buses to replace existing bus radio hardware and equipment.
· And the replacement of 325 wheelchair securement devices on existing transit vehicles, to keep transit accessible for everyone.
The Government of Canada is investing over $19.9 million towards these projects. The Government of Manitoba is providing over $16.5 million, while the City of Winnipeg is contributing more than $13.2 million.
