Government Of Canada & City of Brampton Help Shift AcceleRide Rapid Transit into High Gear

The AcceleRide bus rapid transit system moved forward after the Government of Canada formalized its $95 million investment by signing a federal-municipal contribution agreement with the City of Brampton. The agreement was signed by the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance and Minister Responsible for the Greater Toronto Area, on behalf of the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, and Her Worship Susan Fennell, Mayor of Brampton.

The agreement cements the government’s commitment to the residents and the development of transportation alternatives in Brampton
The AcceleRide program is part of a long-term transportation action plan, FLOW. This plan will help in the reduction of traffic congestion, strengthen the economy and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Brampton is one of the fastest growing city’s in Canada and this project will be incremental in the economic growth and improving the quality of life in the city.
FLOW is an initiative of the Government of Canada designed to reduce traffic congestion, improve the environment and strengthen the economy in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). FLOW consists of key transportation infrastructure projects, including AcceleRide, and was developed to help enhance the quality of life for families and help businesses increase efficiency in the GTA by keeping people, traffic and goods FLOWing in the largest metropolitan area in Canada.
AcceleRide is a bus rapid transit system which will operate along Brampton’s key transportation corridors linking the downtown to the north and west areas of the city, as well as to the City of Mississauga and the regional Municipality of York. The project will be constructed in two phases, the first expected to be completed by 2010, with ultimate completion anticipated in 2021.

The federal contribution of $53 million to the City of Brampton for the first phase of the bus rapid transit project comes from the Canada Strategic Infrastructure Fund (CSIF), which supports large-scale strategic infrastructure projects that improve quality of life and further economic growth. An additional $42 million will be provided via a memorandum of understanding for the second phase of this project.

The Province of Ontario provided $95 million to Brampton to support this project in 2006. The City of Brampton will be responsible for the remainder of the project costs. Construction on the project is expected to begin in 2008 and be completed by 2013.

Other transit projects that make up the FLOW action plan include the construction of a bus rapid transit corridor in Mississauga; the extension of the Spadina-University subway line to Vaughan Corporate Centre; the enhancement of the York VIVA rapid transit system; and funding for regional rapid transit expansion studies in the Regional Municipality of Durham.

As federal funding is reimbursement-based, funds will be transferred once the agreement is signed, eligible costs are incurred and all federal requirements have been satisfied.