A virtual celebration was held today to commemorate the completion of a new transit operations and maintenance facility for the Central Fraser Valley Regional Transit System. The new site, located at 3032 Gladys Avenue in Abbotsford, opened in December 2020 and is part of the larger Central Fraser Valley Transit Future Plan that aims to make transit a reliable alternative to personal vehicles, to reduce the community’s impact on the environment, and to improve service for Abbotsford and Mission transit users.
The site includes parking for 89 buses with the ability to expand to 150 in the future. Seven vehicle maintenance bays, an administrative building, bus wash and CNG fueling station are also on site. The facility is also home to a new fleet of medium and heavy-duty compressed natural gas (CNG) buses.
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities and the Honourable Rob Fleming, B.C. Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure, joined MLA for Abbotsford-Mission Pam Alexis, City of Abbotsford Mayor Henry Braun, District of Mission Acting Mayor Danny Plecas, and BC Transit President and CEO Erinn Pinkerton for the virtual event.
This $28.6 million project was first announced in 2016 as part of the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF), from which approximately 83 per cent of construction costs have been provided by the federal government and the Province of BC. The remaining construction costs are jointly covered by the City of Abbotsford and the District of Mission. Land and other costs not eligible for PTIF funding are shared by the Province of BC, the City of Abbotsford and the District of Mission.
CNG buses
Nine medium duty and 26 heavy duty buses are now in operation, with an additional 10 heavy duty buses arriving by summer 2021. Upon their arrival, Central Fraser Valley’s conventional fleet will be made up entirely of CNG buses. CNG buses are part of BC Transit’s Low Carbon Fleet Program to support provincial targets for greenhouse gas emissions and align with the provincial CleanBC plan. FortisBC supplies natural gas for BC Transit’s CNG fleets, while the CNG fueling station is built and maintained by Clean Energy.
Each 30-foot, medium-duty Grande West Vicinity CNG bus can carry up to 24 seated passengers and 20 standing passengers. The 40-foot heavy duty XN40 Xcelsior CNG buses by New Flyer can carry 35 seated passengers and 46 standing passengers. All buses are equipped with a bike rack which accommodates three-inch tires, white LED destination sign, and full driver door designed to protect the health and safety of drivers and passengers. Heavy duty CNG buses also come with USB ports at each seat.
The cost of each medium-duty CNG bus is approximately $455,000, while each heavy duty bus is approximately $700,000. All are funded through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), with the Government of Canada and the Province of BC each contributing 40 per cent of the cost. The City of Abbotsford and District of Mission contribute the remaining 20 per cent. FortisBC contributed $320,000 towards the implementation of CNG buses in the Central Fraser Valley fleet.
QUOTES:
The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities
“Modernizing public transit is essential to making it more accessible and encouraging more people to choose cleaner transportation options. The conversion of Central Fraser Valley’s conventional fleet to fuel-efficient CNG buses will help save money on operating costs and reduce emissions. Canada’s infrastructure plan invests in thousands of projects, creates jobs across the country, and builds cleaner, more inclusive communities.”
Ken Hardie, Member of Parliament for Liberal Fleetwood–Port Kells
“It's great to see the Central Fraser Valley facility officially open. Continuing to expand, improve, and upgrade facilities and bus fleets is key to providing Canadians with reliable and greener public transit services.”
Rob Fleming, Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
“These CNG buses will ensure that residents of the Central Fraser Valley have access to green transportation options for years to come. Public transit is essential to the lives of people all over the province, and access to clean, reliable transit to commute to work or school is a necessity. Through investments like this, we continue to show our commitment to CleanBC and our strategy to increase active transportation routes throughout British Columbia.”
Pam Alexis, MLA for Abbotsford-Mission
“A good public transit system helps make our communities more affordable and accessible for the people who live in them. We’re thrilled that Abbotsford is home to this new operations and maintenance facility and this new fleet of vehicles. This will serve the entire Central Fraser Valley Regional Transit System, all while helping to lower our carbon footprint.”
Mayor Henry Braun, City of Abbotsford
“On behalf of the City of Abbotsford and City Council, we are pleased to see the new Transit Maintenance and Operations Facility open in our community. This new facility provides Abbotsford with the ability to support and expand a fleet of cleaner burning compressed natural gas buses and represents the growth of a sustainable and connected community. We appreciate the significant commitment that all levels of government have made to investing in services that support residents today and into the future.”
Acting Mayor Danny Plecas, District of Mission
“This new facility has arrived at a critical time for our community, with ever-increasing growth pressures, we are now able to satisfy current transit needs and build transit-friendly neighbourhoods with the certainty of available capacity as we work towards our Mission Mobility 2050 Plan”.
Erinn Pinkerton, CEO and president, BC Transit
“It takes the cooperation of governments at all levels to make significant projects like these possible. Thank you to all of our partners for your continued support and commitment to promoting public transit as a reliable and sustainable transportation option.”
Sarah Smith, director, low carbon transportation and LNG business growth, FortisBC
“I’d like to thank BC Transit for their partnership, as well as their leadership in reducing emissions within the transportation sector, which is a key part of our 30BY30 target. I hope other transportation organizations see BC Transit’s success and choose to learn more about the financial and environmental benefits of adopting CNG.”
Media contacts
BC Transit communications
250-880-1303
media@bctransit.com