The province of Nova Scotia is spending $7.1 million on the planning and design of a new net-zero Burnside Transit centre in Dartmouth.
The current Burnside Transit Centre has maintenance and repair facilities, storage areas for buses and some offices. It was originally designed for 110 buses, but currently handles 284 buses. The province says that number is expected to exceed 330 in the coming decades.
The province says the new centre will be a larger, net-zero facility, “which will support a faster and more reliable public transit experience in Halifax Regional Municipality.”
This is the first phase of the project to replace the current transit centre. When it’s complete, the province says the new centre will provide increased capacity for the public transit system, and better access to public transit, including clean energy transportation.
The planning for the new centre will include the requirements to accommodate Halifax Transit's growing zero-emission fleet.
"Nova Scotia is a national leader in the fight against climate change. Buildings are a major contributor of greenhouse gas emissions in the province. Energy efficient buildings play a key role in reducing this impact," said Natural Resources and Renewables Minister Tory Rushton in a news release.
The transportation sector contributes 33 per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions in Nova Scotia, while buildings contribute 12 per cent, according to the news release.
The Nova Scotia government has set a target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions to 53 per cent below 2005 levels by 2030.
The funding, which was announced Tuesday, is part of a $20.8-million design plan. The federal government is pitching in $6.5 million and the Halifax Regional Municipality is contributing $7.1 million for the first phase.
