800-stall park-and-ride lot to be built in St. Albert

An 800-stall park-and-ride and transit transfer station is being built on the south edge of St. Albert.

Premier Rachel Notley, on hand for the announcement Monday morning, said the province is providing $30 million for the facility, which will be built at Campbell Road and Anthony Henday Drive.

“We know this is a priority for the people of St.Albert and surrounding areas,” Notley said at the announcement.

“Any great city has to have great public transit. It’s better for the environment, it’s more efficient, and it’s a boost for the local economy.”

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: "Any great city has to have great public transit. It's better for the environment, it's more efficient, and it's a boost for the local economy."

The lot will serve as St. Albert’s transit hub, and is the planned future terminus of Edmonton’s Metro LRT line. Construction will start in May with an opening date sometime in spring 2019.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

The lot will be funded by two programs: $20 million will come from GreenTRIP; and the remaining $10 million from the municipal sustainability initiative (MSI).

READ MORE: Transit talk with St. Albert revives Blatchford bridge proposal: Coun. Loken

In its application for GreenTRIP funding, St. Albert estimated that increased transit ridership would contribute to a reduction of 2,300 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year.

“Building integrated transportation systems is one of the priorities identified in our city’s Strategic Plan,” St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron said. “We are grateful to the province for providing funding for the Campbell Park and Ride facility, which will help us promote the use of public transit here in St. Albert and the region.”

The GreenTRIP program provides funding to municipalities throughout Alberta to help create sustainable public transit.

READ MORE: Alberta Budget 2018— What’s in it for Edmonton

The Municipal Sustainability Initiative provides Alberta municipalities with infrastructure grants. The MSI program will come to an end in 2021-22 but the government says it will work with municipalities to come up with a new infrastructure grant program to replace it.