Saskatoon Bus Rapid Transit expands as Sask. gets $327M infrastructure boost

The Saskatchewan and federal governments have announced joint funding of $327 million for infrastructure projects.

The money will go towards a variety of projects including the expansion of Saskatoon’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) system with two new lines, new power lines across the province, and a new water plant in the town of Rosthern.

The province says the two new BRT corridors with bus stations will run along the routes. The Red Line will run east to west, while the Blue Line will run north to south.

A fibre optic network will also improve the tracking and reporting of the bus routes making them more efficient.

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"As ridership continues to increase, it is important that we have a system that meets the needs and expectations of users," Saskatoon Mayor Charlie Clark said.

"This announcement for the Red and Blue BRT line, along with last November's announcement for the Green BRT line, will allow Saskatoon to proceed with the Bus Rapid Transit project, fully funded. With three orders of government working in partnership, we will modernize and enhance our public transit system to move residents and visitors more efficiently and sustainably."

According to the province, SaskPower's distributed generation enablement project will result in new power lines and improvements to substations to enable new generation projects, including wind and solar facilities.

Five new water wells and a new water control building will be built in the Town of Rosthern to meet current drinking water needs.

"Increased and efficient production, treatment, and storage capacity will enable the Town of Rosthern to accommodate current demand, future growth, and new servicing requirements which are presenting daily," Town of Rosthern Mayor Dennis Helmuth said.