The new Ragged Lake Transit Centre will cut down on the amount of idling buses this winter.
The facility employs heated flooring to keep buses warmer when they are parked overnight. This, combined with a de-icing and snow removal system, means buses require only 10 to 15 minutes to warm up in the morning, according to John Blood with Metro Transit.
Previously, buses required around half an hour of idling before they were fully operational in the winter — taking a toll on both municipal resources and the environment.
On Friday, the municipality held a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Ragged Lake facility — a multimillion-dollar project with provincial and federal contributions. Mayor Peter Kelly said the facility was a step on the road to long-term sustainability.
In addition to expanding capacity for service, the Ragged Lake Transit Centre will also increase efficiency, according to Metro Transit spokeswoman Lori Patterson.
“The opening of (the) Ragged Lake Transit Centre … signifies the culmination of the planning that we’ve been doing over the last two years,” she said.
“Long term, (the facility will) make our community more sustainable.”
