From left, CBRM District 1 Coun. Gordon MacDonald, Sydney-Glace MP Mike Kelloway, District 11 Coun. Darren O’Quinn, CBRM Mayor Cecil Clarke, Glace Bay-Dominion MLA John White and District 9 Coun. David MacKeigan stand in front of one of the six new Transit Cape Breton accessible minibuses the municipality will be receiving thanks to a combined $2.6-million investment from the federal and provincial governments announced on Monday in New Waterford. Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentThe Cape Breton Regional Municipality will receive six new accessible minibuses to add to its transit fleet thanks to a combined $2.6-million-plus investment from the federal and provincial governments.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY.Subscribe now to access this story and more:Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsSUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES.Subscribe or sign in to your account to continue your reading experience.Unlimited access to the website and appExclusive access to premium content, newsletters and podcastsFull access to the e-Edition app, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment onEnjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalistsSupport local journalists and the next generation of journalistsRegister to unlock more articles.Create an account or sign in to continue your reading experience.Access additional stories every monthShare your thoughts and join the conversation in our commenting communityGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentIn addition to the minibuses, Sydney-Glace Bay MP Mike Kelloway also revealed that the combined funding will go toward the installation of five pedestrian crosswalks, five bus shelters and 1.75 kilometres of new sidewalk to be built within the municipality.Article contentArticle contentArticle content“These are practical improvements that will make a real difference in the lives of people who use our transit system,” Kelloway said during Monday’s announcement near the Rose Schwartz Memorial Park bandshell in New Waterford.Article content“At the end of the day, we’re really talking about whether someone can get to work in the morning, or whether a student can get to class, or whether a senior can make a very important medical appointment, and whether people can stay connected to their community no matter where they live, whether they have a car or not.Article content“That matters in our region just as much as anywhere else in terms of transportation.”Article content The interior of Transit Cape Breton’s new accessible minibus, one of six the CBRM will receive thanks to a $2.6-million combined investment from the federal and provincial governments announced on Monday in New Waterford. Photo by IAN NATHANSON/CAPE BRETON POSTArticle contentFINANCIAL INVESTMENT BREAKDOWNArticle contentThe federal government is contributing $2,149,440 through its Rural Transit Solutions Fund, while the provincial government will be adding $537,360. Federal funding is conditional on the signing of the contribution agreement. The province, through Link Nova Scotia, provides grants to community transportation operators to support operating and capital funding costs.Article contentArticle contentLast year, Transit Cape Breton received an $8-million-plus federal funding boost at a time when the transit authority was dealing with increasing bus ridership and a fleet in need of upgrades and constant maintenance. That funding, through the Canada Public Transit Fund’s Baseline Funding stream, was said to be going toward upgrading, replacing or modernizing the CBRM’s transit operations, infrastructure, and ensuring it is maintained in a state of good repair.Article contentDuring that same 2025 announcement, it was also mentioned that the federal government will give the CBRM a yearly funding allocation amounting to $8,076,520 over a 10-year span — from 2026 to 2036 — or just over $800,000 each year.Article contentBETTER ACCESS TO COMMUNITIESArticle contentBut at the end of last year, CBRM’s public works director John Phalen sounded the alarm of a significant spiral in bus ridership, telling municipal council that the federal cap on international student enrolment, including at Cape Breton University, translated to reduced local ridership.
CBRM rolling out six new accessible minibuses
