Three levels of government came together for the $79 million pledged to improve public transit in the province announced in Victoria Thursday afternoon.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier John Horgan, and President and Chief Executive Officer for BC Transit, Erinn Pinkerton announced the funding that includes contributions from municipalities.
“Increased ridership means greater demand,” Trudeau Trudeau told staff and media Thursday afternoon at BC Transit yard on Gorge Road.
In order to meet that demand the federal government will pitch in $31 million for new buses.
“This will include 10 long range electric buses,” Trudeau said, specifically referencing commuters from the fast-growing West Shore communities to help them deal with the “Colwood Crawl.”
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The funds will be used to purchase 118 new buses for use in Victoria and across the province in a bid to shorten daily commutes, reduce the number of cars on the road, and make the province a greener place to live. The new buses will replace others at the end of their life cycle or increase capacity in communities where ridership is growing.
“Our government is committed to making life more affordable for British Columbians, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and investments like this will help us do just that,” said Horgan. “Working together, we can provide transit that people need and we can put public transit on a solid road towards a truly sustainable future.”
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, Premier John Horgan, and President and Chief Executive Officer for BC Transit, Erinn Pinkerton announced $79 million in funding to purchase 118 new buses across the province #yyj @VictoriaNews pic.twitter.com/lNZ5PRclEw
— Nicole Crescenzi (@NicoleCrescenzi) July 19, 2019
