The City of Hamilton has revealed the opening of a new $390.4 million Hamilton Street Railway (HSR) transit hub.
According to city officials, the Birch Transit Centre serves as a maintenance and storage site designed to enhance Hamilton’s transit system.
In a press release shared with CHCH News, Mayor Andrea Horwath emphasized that a dependable public transit network is “essential” for keeping residents “connected to jobs, schools, services and each other.”
“Birch Transit Centre is an investment we are making today to support the future of our city. By strengthening HSR’s capacity and supporting a larger fleet, we are enhancing service for residents and visitors alike while building a stronger, more connected Hamilton for years to come,” said Horwath.
Funding for the $390.4 million project came from all three levels of government:
Government of Canada: $142.8 million Government of Ontario: $92.6 million City of Hamilton: $155 million
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is investing nearly $70 billion in the largest transit expansion in Canadian history so commuters here in Hamilton and across the province have a fast, reliable option to get where they’re going each day,” stated the Hon. Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation.
The release adds that the Birch facility is crucial to Hamilton’s plan to modernize and expand its local transit system through HSR Next – an initiative set to start in 2027 that will implement changes over several years.
The addition of more HSR buses has been necessary due to increased demand, leading existing maintenance and storage facilities to become overcrowded.
City staff indicate that Birch Transit Centre resolves this issue by offering a second indoor area for storing and servicing buses.
Construction on this new transit facility began in 2023 and has now wrapped up.
The transit centre features bus storage areas, bus washing systems, administrative offices, and infrastructure built for future electric battery buses.
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