Infrastructure Canada has announced that a combined C$112 million (US$88.8 million) investment has been awarded to expand the Ragged Lake Transit Center and start the electrification of the Halifax transit fleet.
The project involves purchasing 60 electric buses with battery packs, the first in Atlantic Canada, and the associated charging equipment, in addition to expanding the Ragged Lake Transit Center to accommodate the new fleet. The facility will also undergo a deep energy retrofit to achieve a net-zero standard. The addition of renewable solar energy and storage capacity will help make the transit system more resilient.
"The electrification of the Halifax Transit fleet is vital to our commitments to climate action. Today's investment brings us much closer to the modernization of a public transit service that will reliably and sustainably meet the needs of a growing community and make taking transit a better choice for more people,” said Halifax Regional Municipality Mayor Mike Savage.
This investment supports federal, provincial and municipal targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions for a greener future. It also supports the city's Transforming Transit strategy to create a more convenient, cost-effective and environmentally responsible transit system for all residents.
"This project represents a huge step forward in propelling our transit system towards a greener future. It signifies a major investment in electric transit buses which will reduce operating costs as well as help the environment," said Bill Cutler, director of transit fleet, Halifax Transit.
The government of Canada is investing C$44.8 million (US$35.5 million) in this project through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada program. The government of Nova Scotia is providing more than $C37.3 million (US$29.6 million) and Halifax Regional Municipality is contributing $C29.8 million (US$23.6 million).
