The City of Guelph will receive grants worth $8.35 million to fund two transit-accessibility projects.

Nearly $5 million of the money will be spent on the construction of a new Guelph Central Station. The building, which will be designed to have a zero-carbon footprint, will feature an indoor 25-seat passenger waiting area, public washrooms, and dedicated space for transit operators and supervisors. The project is expected to be completed by late 2027.

The remaining $3.39 million will support the city’s work to improve and expand Guelph’s cycling network, and provide active transportation connections to two major transit hubs: Guelph Central Station and the University of Guelph Bus Loop.

Improvements being considered include protected bike lanes along:

• College Avenue from Janefield Avenue to Victoria Road,
• Eramosa Road from Woolwich Street to Victoria Road, and
• Gordon Street from Wellington Street to Clair Road.

The project also includes intersection improvements for people on bikes, and is expected to take about seven years to be fully implemented.

“As Guelph continues to grow, it’s critical that we invest in accessible, sustainable infrastructure projects that support our community’s vision for a connected city where people can move around freely,” said Mayor Cam Guthrie. “The funding announced today represents an important step forward as we work to make this vision a reality.”

The money is being invested by the Government of Canada and Province of Ontario through the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The City of Guelph will contribute about $11 million to the two projects.

“Today, Ontario is investing an additional $3 million to support local transit infrastructure in Guelph, adding to the more than $33-million investment announced in January,” said Stephen Crawford, parliamentary assistant to the Ontario minister of infrastructure. “With the approval of these projects and this joint investment of more than $18 million from Ontario, the federal government and the City of Guelph will help jump start the local recovery and create much needed jobs. I am very pleased that Guelph is now able to move forward with these local priority projects and to deliver improved transit to the community.”