St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, December 4, 2013 – St. John's residents today celebrated the grand opening of the City's new Metrobus facility which will not only improve efficiencies in operations, but will also better meet the public's transit needs well into the future.
"Our Government recognizes that efficient and modern transportation services enhance the quality of life of residents and families in Newfoundland and Labrador,"
said the Honourable Rob Moore, Regional Minister for Newfoundland and Labrador and Minister of State (Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency). "Public transit is a vital service in many municipalities and projects like the Metrobus facility in St. John's will help to create jobs, promote growth and build strong, prosperous communities."
The new 116,000-square-foot facility, located at 245 Freshwater Road, supports the growth and expansion of Metrobus' evolving operations. The energy-efficient building is now capable of housing 70 buses and features a two-storey office wing, maintenance bays, bus storage bays, service rooms, and ancillary spaces. The site has been landscaped and includes areas for bus circulation and parking.
"The City of St. John's is pleased to partner with the Government of Canada on the construction of the new Metrobus facility,"
said Mayor Dennis O'Keefe. "We have made significant investments into our public transit systems in recent years and we are committed to providing quality public transit options to our residents. The new Metrobus facility is one step forward in ensuring we are able to continue to meet the needs of our growing City now and into the future."
The City of St. John's was responsible for $8 million of the total project cost of $34 million.
Canada's Economic Action Plan 2013 is delivering $70 billion for public infrastructure, including a $53 billion 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 1 million net new jobs created since July 2009. The New Building Canada Plan, combined with other federal infrastructure investments, will support Canada's infrastructure advantage, a key enabler of economic growth and job creation.
For additional information about federal investments in infrastructure, visit Infrastructure Canada or follow us on Twitter @INFC_eng.
Marie-Josée Paquette
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Infrastructure, Communities and Intergovernmental Affairs, and Minister of the Economic Development Agency of Canada for the Regions of Quebec
613-943-1838
Judy Powell
709-570-2130
judy.powell@metrobus.com
Jennifer Mills
Communications and Public Relations Officer
City of St. John's
709-570-2037
jmills@stjohns.ca
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251 or toll free 1-877-250-7154
