Brampton, Ontario, June 30, 2008 - Last week, Brampton Transit officially opened its new facility at Sandalwood Parkway. Spanning 285,000 square feet, the Sandalwood facility will allow Brampton Transit to meet the demands of a growing population and the City's vision of an environment-friendly, green community.
"This is an exciting development for Brampton Transit," said Mayor Susan Fennell. "Brampton's transit system is growing at three times the national average. This growth demands that we expand our transit operations and enhance the services we provide. The Sandalwood facility will help us meet these requirements and ensure Brampton continues in its leadership role as an environment-friendly city."
Costing $40 million and funded completely through the federal Gas Tax Fund, the state-of-the-art Sandalwood facility is built with strict environment control measures. These measures include noise reduction landscaping, emission and waste material controls, and the use of skylights and wall glass to optimize the use of natural light in high-use areas.
"The Government of Canada recognizes that communities such as Brampton are continually growing, and public transit infrastructure must expand in order to meet the demand," said the Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure, and Communities. "This new transit facility represents the efforts of the city to provide its residents with safe, efficient and reliable public transit, while doing its part to help the environment."
"By making federal gas tax funding permanent, our government has provided municipalities large and small, from coast to coast, with the ability to plan and finance their public infrastructure needs over the long term," said the Honourable Jim Flaherty, Minister of Finance. "The new Brampton facility is another example of the modern infrastructure that is being realized with this predictable stream of funding."
Brampton Transit's capabilities have now increased substantially with:
A new Control Centre will support future technology enhancements such as real-time satellite tracking systems and automated on-board announcements of all stops. All of this strengthens Brampton Transit's ongoing commitment to provide reliable, on-time service to its riders.
"The federal Gas Tax Fund acknowledges that all orders of government must work together in order to address the pressing need for infrastructure investment in Ontario," said Doug Reycraft, President of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). "The funding is supporting hundreds of important infrastructure projects and is critical to Ontario's competitiveness and environmental sustainability."
The federal Gas Tax Fund supports environmentally sustainable municipal infrastructure including investments that contribute to cleaner air and water and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. Eligible categories of investment include public transit, water and wastewater infrastructure, community energy systems, the management of solid waste, and local roads and bridges. Through its unprecedented $33 billion Building Canada infrastructure plan, the Government of Canada extended the Gas Tax Fund by $2 billion per year for four years, from 2010 to 2014. In Budget 2008, the Government announced that the Gas Tax Fund will be permanent at $2 billion per year beyond 2014.
Brampton Transit is an award-winning transit system that provides excellence in customer service along with seamless connections with GO Transit, the TTC, York Region and Mississauga Transit, giving the commuting public a reliable alternative to driving their cars.
About Brampton: Brampton is the first city in the GTA and one of 10 in North America to be designated an International Safe Community by the World Health Organization in 2007. Home to more than 8,000 businesses, the City enjoys a Triple 'A' credit rating by Standard & Poor's, reflecting its debt-free position, exceptional liquidity levels and excellent economy. The City of Brampton's 2008 operating budget is $389.4 million and approved funding for its overall capital program stands at $585.7 million. The City celebrates its diverse population that represents people from more than 175 distinct ethnic backgrounds and who speak over 70 different languages. Offering nearly 6,000 acres of parkland, Brampton takes pride in being the Flower City and the 'Best Blooming Community in Canada'. For more information visit www.brampton.ca
For more information, visit www.buildingcanada.gc.ca.
Gordon Smith
Manager, Media Communications
City of Brampton
Phone: 905-874-3426
gordon.smith@brampton.ca
