City of Burlington public transit sees investment of nearly $17 million

Nov 12, 2024

Media Releases

Burlington, Ont.—Nov. 12, 2024— As the City of Burlington continues to advocate for infrastructure investments, it is pleased to announce a combined investment of nearly $17 million with the federal and provincial governments. These investments support improved and greener public transit. They also better prepare the city’s infrastructure and transit services to support the future needs of Burlington’s growing and diverse community.

What this investment means for Burlington residents:

New transit buses and greener public transit – 15 new conventional, hybrid, and electric buses that will replace aging vehicles and expand the capacity of the local public transit system. This initiative helps create a more healthy and sustainable community and supports the City’s efforts to improve our natural environment and take action on climate change. These investments move the City of Burlington towards decarbonization of our transit fleet. Four of the 15 buses will be electric and part of a pilot project.

Transit route expansion and service improvements – Adding new buses to Burlington’s fleet allows for transit route expansion and service improvements. This makes transit a more viable and efficient option for residents. It also enables Burlington Transit to offer more frequent service (15 and 20 minute frequency).
New specialized transit vehicles to support riders – By adding six specialized transit vehicles to the fleet, the City of Burlington can provide more service to our riders who are not able to use conventional buses. With door-to-door service, these specialized transit vehicles can help meet the needs of our changing and aging community.
Improvements to digital signage at Burlington bus stops – This includes new digital signage with real time schedules and next bus information. This enhancement will support an improved passenger experience.

In 2019, the City of Burlington was the recipient of funds under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, an initiative involving all three levels of government. These funds helped the City complete a number of initiatives, including the following:

Burlington Transit 5-Year Business Plan
Specialized transit vehicles expansion to better service the changing demographic in Burlington and the increasing need for door-to-door, specialized service
Conventional transit vehicle expansion
Conventional transit vehicle replacement

Quick Facts

The federal government is investing $6,782,156 through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Ontario is investing $5,651,231 and the City of Burlington is contributing $4,522,003. This funding is a result of the City of Burlington submitting applications to receive these monies in 2022.
This investment supports the building, expansion and upgrading of urban transit networks in Burlington.

Public transit investments in Burlington supports the Burlington Transit 5-Year Business Plan focused on planned community growth, service expansion and connection to the City’s Integrated Mobility Plan and Burlington’s Climate Action Plan. Service expansion helps support transit growth where there is development of communities around the Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs). It also helps the City reach its goal of being net carbon neutral by 2050, while supporting a growing population and connecting the community.

From 2019 to 2023, there was a 21 per cent increase in transit ridership in Burlington, exceeding pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and trending higher in 2024.

Burlington’s population is expected to grow by over 40 per cent in the next 25 years. This investment will support current and future generations.

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Quotes

The Honourable Karina Gould, Member of Parliament for Burlington, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“Transit use in Burlington is on the rise, with many residents relying on it everyday to access work, school and vital services. The federal government is proud to support expansion and improvements to the local public transit system so it can continue to meet the needs of our growing city for years to come.”

Pam Damoff, Member of Parliament for Oakville North—Burlington

“A modernized transit fleet for Burlington will contribute to a more sustainable, accessible and connected city for everyone. Public transportation is part of the federal government’s plan to build competitive and productive communities in the green economy.”

Adam Van Koeverden, Member of Parliament for Milton

“Transit projects do more than move people from one place to another—they shape the future of cities, reduce environmental footprints, boost local economies, and create lasting connections within communities. Investments like today create sustainable, accessible, and vibrant urban lives.”

Natalie Pierre, Member of Provincial Parliament for Burlington

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is making historic investments in transit because we know affordable, reliable and accessible transportation is the backbone of strong communities. Today’s investment to support the purchase of new transit vehicles will help the residents of Burlington get where they need to go, when they need to get there.”

Effie Triantafilopoulos, Member of Provincial Parliament for Oakville North—Burlington

“The funding we are announcing today will allow the City of Burlington to offer more transit service and connect more people to jobs, opportunities and the people that matter to them. These new hybrid and electric buses will support Burlington’s goals of reducing emissions, creating healthy communities and making public transit more convenient for people.”

Mayor Marianne Meed Ward

“The City of Burlington is poised for significant population growth. It is increasingly important for municipalities to invest in transit system expansion to support growing communities in getting to and from their homes, places of employment, and other commercial and recreational facilities. Through these strategic investments, we are taking proactive steps towards increasing mobility services that are reliable, efficient and innovative for Burlington residents. At the same time, we are reducing our carbon footprint and promoting the long-term sustainability of our transit network.”

Catherine Baldelli, Director, Transit

“These investments have a positive impact on our transit service and help us make important strides to make public transit greener. The City continues to advocate to ensure our projects are considered for funding streams that will make a difference for our community. These funds from the federal and provincial governments will support our work to make transit a more viable and efficient option for all in Burlington.”

Links and Resources

Burlington Transit 5-Year Business Plan

Nov. 12 news release – On the road to greener public transit in Burlington

Backgrounder

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Media contacts:
City of Burlington Communications
communications@burlington.ca

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