Region of Waterloo transit projects proceeding with funding commitments
Funding has been secured to deliver five transit projects in the Region of Waterloo, which includes the purchase of 30 new buses, 21 specialty vehicles and a maintenance and storage facility.
"Projects like these help our communities provide efficient and reliable services that transform the way Canadians live, move and work. These important projects will provide residents and commuters in the Waterloo Region with the infrastructure needed to travel across the community safely and reliably. This is an excellent example of how we are working to build stronger, more sustainable infrastructure that will serve communities now and in the future," said Bardish Chagger, Leader of the Government in the House of Commons and Member of Parliament for Waterloo
The government of Canada is investing more than C$57 million (US$42.91 million) in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The government of Ontario is providing more than C$47 million (US$35.38 million) to the projects, while the Region of Waterloo is contributing more than C$55 million (US$41.40 million).
The projects include the Region of Waterloo Northfield Drive Maintenance and Storage Facility, which will provide a new storage and maintenance space for Region of Waterloo buses. It will have a capacity to house 200 buses, 22 maintenance bays, three inspection pits, one degrease bay, one tire bay, two wash stations and a dedicated cleaning lane. It will also provide new administration space and parts storage capacity.
Grand River Transit (GRT) will use the funds to purchase 15 additional diesel buses to help accommodate projected service growth and ridership targets. GRT will also purchase 15 new clean diesel buses to replace those vehicles in its existing fleet that have reached the end of their useful life.
GRT will expand its MobilityPLUS vehicle fleet with the purchase of two additional specialized service buses, which will address GRT’s projected service growth and ridership targets for the MobilityPLUS service. GRT will also be able to use the funding to purchase 19 new specialized service buses to replace older vehicles in its MobilityPLUS fleet.
"Critical infrastructure investments like this are key to the success of our community, and I'm proud of our government's investment. Grand River Transit's operations enable citizens to live, work and play in our region, and this funding will support them in getting there faster, more easily and with improved safety,” said Bryan May, Member of Parliament for Cambridge.
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.
