St. John’s and Mount Peal GoBus to replace 18 paratransit vehicles with funds from government of Canada

Aug. 10, 2021
The federal investment comes from the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream while the province and municipality will contribute funding to vehicle replacement project as well.

Three levels of government are contributing to a project that will see GoBus, which serves St. John’s and Mount Pearl in Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, purchase 18 new paratransit vehicles.

“By replacing the accessible paratransit fleet with newer vehicles, we are proactively ensuring the GoBus service can continue without disruption for everyone who depends on it,” said Newfoundland and Labrador Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Elvis Loveless.

The C$2.23 million (US$1.77 million) project will be funded with C$1.1 million (US$870,000) from the government of Canada through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan; the provincial government of Newfoundland and Labrador will contribute C$755,000 (US$599,902) and the city of St. John’s will contribute C$377,000 (US$299,553).

“Thank you to our federal and provincial government partners for this significant investment to upgrade the GoBus transportation fleet. Ensuring that residents of all ages and abilities have access to safe and affordable transportation is critical to the health of our community. As part of our 10-year strategic plan, the city of St. John’s is committed to building a balanced transportation network to get people and goods where they want to go safely, and this announcement today will help us fulfil this mandate,” said St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen.

About the Author

Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director

Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.

Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.

She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.  

She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.