Airdrie City council approved a submission from Airdrie Transit to the GreenTRIP program offered by Alberta Transportation for capital investments for 2015-2020 totalling $25,503,575 for fleet, facilities and infrastructure at their meeting on Sept. 4.
GreenTRIP is a capital program to support public transit initiatives that was first announced in July 2008. Under the program, the Government of Alberta will invest a total of $2 billion by 2020 across the province, with the majority (80 per cent) earmarked for light rail in Calgary and Edmonton. The program supports climate change initiatives.
Transit Coordinator Chris MacIsaac said Airdrie Transit first applied for GreenTRIP funding in January 2011. That submission included capital investments made in 2009 to 2011 and included new buses, facility improvements, bus stop improvements, and new technology systems. A total of $4,170,277 in project costs were submitted to Alberta Transportation with a grant in the amount of $2,780,185 (67 per cent of total project costs) received in February 2012.
MacIsaac explained that the new proposal includes some significant projects that reflect the growth of the City and the transit system, including the purchase of land and construction of a transit facility in Airdrie’s northeast at a cost of $11,919,120.
MacIsaac said a new facility is required due to capacity issues at the current facility on East Lake Hill. Construction of the new facility is proposed to begin in 2015 and be completed in 2017.
Also included in the second GreenTRIP proposal is expansion of the InterCity Express (ICE) bus service, including the purchase of five to seven new buses. The ICE bus expansion is estimated to cost $4,407,435 and be completed by 2019.
MacIsaac said Airdrie Transit will include $359,255 for new technology in the GreenTRIP submission. Technology includes things like electronic fare payment, security at bus stops and new technologies that reduce fuel consumption.
“Things that make customers more attracted to transit services,” MacIsaac explained.
Submission of the application to GreenTRIP does not mean budget approval has been given, MacIsaac said.
“Council has the scope to change what is presented tonight through the normal budget process,” he said.
Alderman Candice Kolsen said deciding to support the GreenTRIP submission was not a tough decision.
“I think it was pretty straight forward,” Kolsen said. “Anytime we can access grants or available funds from the Province it’s always a great idea to do so.”
“GreenTRIP funding is a great thing because ultimately at the end of the day, council can still change direction. So if we submit our request for the things Chris MacIsaac presented last night, if five years down the road we decide that one of those expansions isn’t viable for Airdrie, we can change it and still move those funds to something else transit-related.”
