Ontario Construction News staff writer
Brampton is building a third transit storage and maintenance facility with contributions from the provincial and federal governments.
The Government of Canada is investing more than $69.9 million in this project through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada plan. The Government of Ontario is providing over $58.2 million, and the City of Brampton is contributing more than $46.6 million.
“Brampton Transit is one of the fastest-growing transit systems in Canada and the new facility will help support our accessible and connected transit network and create approximately 850 new Brampton jobs per year in its construction, and around 1,000 jobs when the facility is fully built and operating. Building on our Council’s commitment to being a Green City, we continue to seek funding to electrify the facility,” said Mayor Patrick Brown.
Phase 1 of the project includes construction of a 400,000 sq. ft. transit maintenance and storage facility with up to 36 maintenance bays and approximately 40 overhead garage doors to accommodate up to 250 standard 40 ft. equivalent buses, in addition to administrative and maintenance support space. Work also includes installing fixed and mobile hoists, a vehicle inspection pit, an overhead crane, fuel storage and dispensing systems, vehicle location and radio system, and backup electricity generation.
The construction of this new facility will improve the capacity, quality, and safety of public transit infrastructure for Brampton, and allow for the future installation of infrastructure to service electric buses, creating cleaner and more efficient transportation methods for residents. The City of Brampton continues to seek $150 million in additional funding to electrify the facility.
Funding announced last week will help cover the costs of constructing Phase 1 of the facility. This new facility is targeted for construction in two phases starting in 2022, with Phase 1 opening estimated for late 2024.
Brampton is currently in the Environmental Project Report (EPR) Review Period for this project. The report is open for review at Brampton.ca/transitfacility until April 19. Those with feedback can connect with the listed Project Contacts.
“The City of Brampton is dedicated to building a sustainable and energy-efficient transit system, and these investments will support a milestone project in our green initiatives – a third transit facility. We look forward to continuing to work with our stakeholders to bring investment to Brampton,” said David Barrick, CAO.