Regional Transit Service gets new wheels thanks to Canada's Gas Tax Fund
Halifax, Nova Scotia, March 27, 2013 – Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) commuters are now benefitting from improved transit service, thanks to a major investment from the Government of Canada through the Gas Tax Fund.
Greg Kerr, Member of Parliament for West Nova, along with His Worship Mike Savage, Mayor of the Halifax Regional Municipality, today announced that Metro Transit recently added 22 new environmentally-friendly buses to its existing fleet.
"Investments in Canada's public infrastructure create jobs, economic growth and provide a high quality of life for families in every city and community across the country,"
said MP Kerr. "With the new Building Canada Plan, our Government is delivering the largest investment in job-creating infrastructure in Canadian history. These new Metro Transit buses will provide a safer, cleaner and more efficient commute for HRM residents."
This $13.6 million investment will increase service and allow older buses to be retired. As a result, it will also help reduce diesel emissions, meaning a cleaner, quieter transit fleet and improved air quality for local residents, now and for years to come.
"The assurance of long-range funding for gas tax transfers along with the indexing of two percent per year will help Halifax make strategic investments to improve and modernize the transit system and continue to narrow the infrastructure funding gap,"
said Mayor Savage. "As we plan for a growing economy and a growing community, smart multi-level government investments in transit and other infrastructure are critically important."
"I am pleased to see the Halifax Regional Municipality investing in their transit system to improve service to citizens," said John MacDonell, Minister of Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations. "These partnerships with the federal and municipal levels of government allow us to build strong, healthy communities and make life better for Nova Scotia families."
The Halifax Regional Municipality directed $13.6 million of its federal Gas Tax Fund allocation towards the purchase of the additional buses and provided the remaining project costs of $2.5 million. The total project cost is estimated at $16.1 million.
The Gas Tax Fund provides long-term funding to help every municipality across the country build and revitalize public infrastructure. The Government of Canada has invested over $10 billion to date in municipal infrastructure through this Fund alone, which is now a permanent transfer of $2 billion per year. Between 2010 and 2014, the Halifax Regional Municipality will receive $99.2 million from the Gas Tax Fund to improve local infrastructure.
Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013 is delivering a new Building Canada Plan to build roads, bridges, subways, commuter rail, and other public infrastructure in cooperation with provinces, territories, and municipalities. Thanks to the Government of Canada's leadership and our strong economic and financial fundamentals, the Canadian economy has recovered from the global recession better than most other industrialized countries. Canada has been a leader among G-7 countries throughout the recovery with more than 950,000 net new jobs created since July 2009. The new Building Canada Plan, combined with other federal infrastructure investments, supports Canada's infrastructure advantage, a key enabler of economic growth and job creation.
For additional information about federal investments in infrastructure and to stay up-to-date with Web feeds, visit Infrastructure Canada.
Contacts:
Geneviève Sicard
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities, Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec, and Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs
613-991-0700
Susan Mader Zinck
Communications Advisor
Service Nova Scotia and Municipal Relations
902-722-1461
E-mail: madersd@gov.ns.ca
Mayor Mike Savage
Halifax Regional Municipality
902-490-4010
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154
Bakgrounder
New Building Canada Plan 2013
Investments in Canada's public infrastructure create jobs, economic growth and provide a high quality of life for families in every city and community across the country.
Since 2006, our Government has made unprecedented investments in over 43,000 projects to build roads, bridges, commuter rail and other important public infrastructure.
As a result of our investments, we have brought the average age of Canada's core public infrastructure down from a peak of 17 years in 2001 to an estimated 14.4 years in 2011. It is now lower than the historical average over the last 50 years.
Economic Action Plan 2013 builds on our investments and announces a new Building Canada plan – the largest investment in job-creating infrastructure in Canadian history.
The new Building Canada plan has three main components:
- Community Improvement Fund - $32.2 billion consisting of an indexed Gas Tax Fund and the increased GSTRebate for Municipalities to build roads, public transit, recreational facilities and other community infrastructure across Canada that will improve the quality of life of Canadian families.
- New Building Canada Fund - $14 billion to support infrastructure projects of national, regional and local significance.
- Renewed P3 Canada Fund - $1.25 billion to continue finding innovative ways to build infrastructure projects faster and provide better value for Canadian taxpayers through public-private partnerships.
In addition, $6 billion in federal support will be provided to provinces, territories and municipalities under current infrastructure programs in 2014-15 and beyond.
Over the next 10 years, the Government will also make significant investments in First Nations infrastructure and in federal assets.
- Approximately $7 billion over 10 years in First Nations infrastructure such as roads, bridges, energy systems and other First Nations infrastructure priorities.
- Over $10 billion in investments in federal infrastructure assets, including bridges, fishing harbours, ports, military bases and departmental accommodations across the country.
Overall, the new Building Canada plan, combined with other federal infrastructure investments will result in $70 billion in federal infrastructure funding over 10 years, the largest federal investment in job-creating infrastructure in Canadian history.
The Government of Canada delivers for Halifax Region
Since 2006, the Government of Canada has invested over $317 million in infrastructure funding for the Halifax Regional Municipality. Here are some examples:
- Halifax Canada Games Centre construction ($12M)
- Halifax Central Library construction ($18.3M)
- Burnside/North Dartmouth Trunk Sewer Extension ($1.3M)
- Fairview Overpass Replacement ($2.7M)
- Herring Cove Fire Station construction ($1M)
- Highway 101 Interchange Construction ($3M)
- Hubley Fire Station construction ($1M)
- MacKay Bridge Rehabilitation ($3.7M)
- Overpass Construction on Highway 102 ($3.3M)
- East River Bridge improvement project ($7.2M)
- Otter Lake Landfill Roof Replacement ($1M)
All told, the Government of Canada has made unprecedented infrastructure investments across the country since 2006. Economic Action Plan 2013 builds on these investments and announces a new Building Canada plan – the largest investment in job-creating infrastructure in Canadian history.
