Rolling Stock No Longer Excluded from Canada’s National Active Transportation Fund

Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada is currently accepting applications for a second round of the national Active Transportation Fund (ATF) Capital Projects stream and, in a win for shared micromobility, non-fixed assets like bikeshare bikes are no longer fully ineligible for funding.

The ATF was launched in 2021 to support Canada’s first Active Transportation Strategy and aims to increase the use of active transportation relative to car travel and increase active transportation to and from transit. The first round of the ATF saw $400 million invested in capital and planning projects, including active transportation plans, school travel planning, new sidewalks, trails, and bike lanes, however, support for shared micromobility was noticeably restricted. Despite the documented impact of bikeshare and scootershare systems on mode shift away from motor vehicles and its supportive role in making first and last mile transit connections, “non-fixed, removable assets, such as bikes for bike share systems”, were ineligible for funding. Fixed assets like stations were technically eligible.

Since this exclusion of rolling stock was announced in 2021, NABSA has mobilized to raise awareness of the value of shared micromobility, and the opportunity to support systems across Canada through the ATF. NABSA worked with Canadian members to host educational meetings, write letters, and participate in consultations, and it looks as though our concerns were heard.

In this new round of funding, the wording around ineligibility has been changed to only exclude non-fixed assets if they are not essential for the operation of the project. Rolling stock like shared bikes and scooters are essential to the operation of shared micromobility systems, so get your proposals ready!

There is up to $500 million on the table for active transportation capital projects in the second round. It is our understanding that this funding will be allocated fairly quickly, given the likelihood of an upcoming federal election.

The application deadline for this round is February 26, 2025, and Indigenous applicants can apply until April 9, 2025. Funding is available only for capital projects this time around. Check out the Applicant Guide for full details.