Almost $17 million invested in local public transit

Posted on by TakeActionBurlington
People at a transit shelter waiting for a bus.

The City of Burlington is pleased to announce a combined investment of nearly $17 million with the federal and provincial governments. This supports improved and greener public transit, and better prepares the city’s infrastructure and transit services to support the future needs of Burlington’s growing and diverse community. 

What this investment means for Burlington residents:

  • New transit buses and greener public transit – 15 new conventional, hybrid, and electric buses will replace aging vehicles and expand the capacity of the local public transit system. This initiative helps create a more healthy and sustainable community and supports the City’s efforts to improve our natural environment and take action on climate change. These investments move the City of Burlington towards decarbonization of our transit fleet. Four of the 15 buses will be electric and part of a pilot project.
  • Transit route expansion and service improvements – Adding new buses to Burlington’s fleet allows for transit route expansion and service improvements. This makes transit a more viable and efficient option for residents. It also enables Burlington Transit to offer more frequent service (15- and 20-minute frequency). 
  • New specialized transit vehicles to support riders – By adding six specialized transit vehicles to the fleet, the City of Burlington can provide more service to our riders who are not able to use conventional buses. With door-to-door service, these specialized transit vehicles can help meet the needs of our changing and aging community.
  • Improvements to digital signage at Burlington bus stops – This includes new digital signage with real time schedules and next bus information. This enhancement will support an improved passenger experience.

In 2019, the City of Burlington was the recipient of funds under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, an initiative involving all three levels of government. These funds helped the City complete several initiatives, including:

  • Burlington Transit 5-Year Business Plan
  • Specialized transit vehicles expansion to better service the changing demographic in Burlington and the increasing need for door-to-door, specialized service
  • Conventional transit vehicle expansion
  • Conventional transit vehicle replacement 

Quick Facts

  • The federal government is investing $6,782,156 through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Ontario is investing $5,651,231 and the City of Burlington is contributing $4,522,003. This funding is a result of the City of Burlington submitting applications to receive these monies in 2022.
  • This investment supports the building, expansion and upgrading of urban transit networks in Burlington.
  • Public transit investments in Burlington supports the Burlington Transit 5-Year Business Plan focused on planned community growth, service expansion and connection to the City’s Integrated Mobility Plan and Burlington’s Climate Action Plan. Service expansion helps support transit growth where there is development of communities around the Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs). It also helps the City reach its goal of being net carbon neutral by 2050, while supporting a growing population and connecting the community.
  • From 2019 to 2023, there was a 21 per cent increase in transit ridership in Burlington, exceeding pre-pandemic levels in 2023 and trending higher in 2024.
  • Burlington’s population is expected to grow by over 40 per cent in the next 25 years. This investment will support current and future generations.

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