This release was issued under a previous government.
Agreements signed between the Alberta government and the City of Calgary mean the city may borrow $473 million with the full backing of the provincial government to finance three approved projects: $332 million for the West Light Rail Transit (LRT) line; $8 million for Southeast Transit Way (SETWAY) predesign; and $133 million for the purchase of at least 50 Light Rail Vehicles.
“GreenTRIP is about building well connected transportation systems that get Albertans to where they need to be,” said Transportation Minister Ric McIver. “We are committed to supporting Calgarians’ mass transit needs as they build a city for the future. This agreement will help the City of Calgary maintain momentum on innovative transit projects.”
The City of Calgary’s complete application for GreenTRIP funding was received in December 2011. Two months later, the province gave approval in principle to provide funds for the municipality’s priority transit projects. The funding agreement was completed and signed by the City and the province over the last few weeks.
“Transit investments are amongst the best investments any city can make,” said Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi. “They’re investments in reducing congestion, in improving air quality, and in increasing social mobility for everyone in the community. It’s great that the Alberta government also recognizes this.”
GreenTRIP provides one-time capital funding that supports new and expanded mass transit throughout Alberta, with projects determined by municipalities. The $2-billion, multi-year GreenTRIP program supports initiatives that contribute to transit accessibility and environmental benefits such as increased use of mass transit, reduction of roadway congestion, and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. To date, the Alberta government has approved more than $1 billion in GreenTRIP funding for transit projects in 14 municipalities.
Through GreenTRIP, Alberta municipalities have been able to add new bus and LRT routes; buy environmentally-friendly transit vehicles; invest in technologies like GPS; build transit infrastructure; and provide transit service to other municipalities.
The Alberta government’s investment in Calgary’s West LRT totaled $1.3 billion, with funding from GreenTRIP, the Municipal Sustainability Initiative and other provincial funding sources. This investment represents 95 per cent of the total project cost for the new LRT line.
For more information on GreenTRIP, visit http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/4913.htm
Backgrounder
Calgary transit projects and GreenTRIP
How much funding will GreenTRIP provide to the City of Calgary?
Alberta’s GreenTRIP grant will provide $473 million to support three approved projects: construction costs for the newly-opened West LRT line; the purchase of at least 50 new LRT cars; and
pre-design work for the Southeast Transitway (SETWAY).
What does the agreement do?
Due to the magnitude of the capital costs of the City of Calgary’s approved projects, the agreement allows the City to borrow this future funding with the province reimbursing borrowing costs. This ensures cash flows for these approved projects while making city infrastructure dollars available for other municipal priorities. The Government of Alberta has committed grant payments to the City of Calgary over a four-year fiscal period: 2012-13: $10 million; 2013-14: $50 million; 2014-15: $200 million; and 2015-16: $213 million.
How much GreenTRIP funding has been approved for the Calgary Region to date?
Nearly $483 million in GreenTRIP funding has been committed to the Calgary Region. In addition to $473 million for the City of Calgary’s projects, $2.8 million was approved for the City of Airdrie for three articulating low-floor buses and eight community shuttle buses, and for improvements previously made to a bus garage and maintenance facility. The Town of Cochrane was approved for $6.1 million for four double-deck transit buses and four community shuttle buses, a mass transit terminal, and the design of a bus storage and maintenance facility. Banff and Canmore will each receive a $450,000 grant toward the purchase of one low-floor transit bus and one cutaway bus to provide joint mass transit service in the Bow Valley.
GreenTRIP - General information
GreenTRIP funding is project-specific and “paid-on-progress.” Submissions must include a business case that describes the sustainability of the project. Applicants are required to contribute at least one-third of the cost, with GreenTRIP providing up to two-thirds of the eligible capital cost.
Municipalities of various sizes benefit from GreenTRIP projects. Some examples of eligible capital projects include construction of LRT and regional or inter-city commuter rail systems; planning for and acquisition of transit or commuter rail corridors; park and ride facilities (as a component of a larger transit project submission); construction of bus terminals; and purchase of mass transit vehicles (e.g. LRT vehicles, hybrid buses, accessible buses).
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