New London Transit HQ fast tracked as time runs out for city to spend $120M in unused BRT funds

A deadline is suddenly looming for city hall to spend senior government funding earmarked for transit and active transportation infrastructure.

A plan to replace the headquarters of London Transit is now being fast tracked after the federal government moved up the application deadline for city hall to spend $119.3 million remaining in the fund originally intended to construct the west route and north route of the bus rapid transit system (BRT).

In early 2019, city council approved just three of the five proposed routes.

London Transit General Manager Kelly Paleczny said she is already working with a team of consultants to update cost estimates and designs.

“We can get this process underway and hopefully get this project wrapped up before we hit capacity at the Wonderland facility. That also gives us more flexibility in terms of the routes we roll electric buses out onto,” explained Paleczny.

The new facility will be able to maintain a larger fleet and evolve to support an eventual migration to electric buses.

Construction will be phased over several years in order to continue the storage and maintenance of LTC buses on the Highbury Avenue property.

Inside the London Transit facility on Highbury Avenue, as seen on July 22, 2022. (Daryl Newcombe/CTV News London)A new report to city hall’s Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee (SPPC) explains that it’s the only transit mega-project ready to meet the new application deadline for senior government funding.

London is suddenly facing a time crunch.

Originally, council intended to create a list of projects for consideration by senior governments during the upcoming development of the Mobility Master Plan, but the federal government unexpectedly advanced the application deadline by one year, requiring the provincial government to move up its timetable.

Projects must be selected in a matter of days — by July 29.

A detailed funding application is due Nov. 30.

“Funding that has been allocated from the federal government for transit purposes that is still on the table needs to be invested before further asks are made,” explained Peter Fragiskatos, MP for London North Centre.

Deputy Mayor Josh Morgan denies that city hall has taken too long to make a decision.

“No, city hall has been moving within the time horizons that the federal government has put out,” said Morgan. “One is an extension of the construction completion date, which is very beneficial for us. The other is the most recent timeframe which we are able to meet.”

Both Morgan and Fragiskatos are confident that transit and transportation improvements determined through the city's upcoming Mobility Master Plan process, including along routes once identified for BRT, will have upcoming opportunities to access senior government dollars from other funding programs.

“Nothing has been shut on improving transit in north or west London. Those processes have rolled into the Mobility Master Plan process,” explained Morgan.

Fragiskatos is blunt about the city’s need to set priorities for future federal assistance.

“It’s very difficult as a member of Parliament to go to the government, and the finance minister specifically, and say that London needs more transit funding when we still have $120 million dollars that has not been spent," he said. 

Council members will consider submitting the bus headquarters for funding at their meeting on July 27.