Ontario Construction News staff writer
The City of Guelph has broken ground on a new transit and fleet services facility, expected to be completed by 2030.
With $77 million from the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), the facility, will serve as foundational infrastructure for storing, charging, and maintaining the city’s electric buses and other fleet vehicles.
PCL Constructors has been contracted to lead construction, with Stantec as the prime consultant and Strasman Architects as the architect.
“Investing in public transit is key to building strong, connected and sustainable communities. We’re improving the capacity of transit systems to ensure people can safely and reliably get where they need to go,” said Dominique O’Rourke, Member of Parliament for Guelph. “Building a modern transit facility in Guelph creates the capacity required to increase the size and sustainability of the Guelph Transit fleet and serve generations to come.”
City council formally approved the project during the 2024 municipal budget process, with a $323 million price tag, however that was cut virtually in half and the project downsized before the city’s spending plan was finalized.
According to a June report to council, the facility was reduced to 26,277 sq. metres from the original 40,000 sq. metres.
“To reduce total project cost, the design was modified by reducing the footprint but adopting a modular approach so expansion can be accommodated for future growth,” the report states. “Although this supports present day affordability constraints, there is a loss of economies of scale as the Guelph design moves from the ‘full build’ to the ‘reduced footprint.’”
The GTFS facility under construction includes a road network with vehicle circulation that is designed to flow in a counterclockwise direction to improve driver safety and efficiency, a vehicle staging area on the north end of the site for fleet maintenance.
Stormwater facilities and an infiltration gallery will be located on the site to capture precipitation runoff from the building and paved areas for the site and surrounding areas. A signalized intersection will be installed at the main driveway to manage traffic flows. Included in the design is a new public parking area and future connection to the hiking trails on the former Ontario Reformatory lands near the Eramosa River.
