Canada’s Build Communities Strong Fund and Shared Micromobility
In March, Canada’s federal government launched the Build Communities Strong Fund (BCSF), a $51 billion, 10-year infrastructure investment announced in Budget 2025. The fund has broad and lofty goals, designed to accelerate construction of hospitals, transit systems, roads, bridges, water infrastructure, and community spaces.
The BCSF delivers funding through three streams: a Provincial and Territorial stream ($17.2 billion), a Direct Delivery stream ($6 billion), and a Community stream ($27.8 billion).
Where Did the Active Transportation Fund Go?
Canada’s Active Transportation Fund (ATF) represented a historic win for shared micromobility in Canada, most notably because shared bikes and scooters became eligible for funding as rolling stock, recognizing bikeshare and scootershare systems as essential transportation infrastructure.
While active transportation networks are explicitly listed as eligible infrastructure alongside investments in public transit, and community facilities, the future of the dedicated funding stream for active transportation is unclear. However, one of the first projects announced under the Direct Delivery stream was an active transportation corridor in Whitehorse.
The ATF remains incredibly popular, with its most recent intake receiving 758 applications from communities across the country, covering shared micromobility as well as protected bike lane networks, pedestrian bridges, multi-use trails, and sidewalks in urban, rural, and Indigenous communities.
What’s at Stake for Shared Micromobility
NABSA has been tracking this closely, but it remains unclear whether the $500 million previously allocated for active transportation capital projects will be protected, how the ATF will be structured going forward, and what role bikeshare and scootershare systems will play in the new fund.
The Build Communities Strong Funds broad eligible categories could accommodate shared micromobility, but explicit eligibility language is important, and NABSA will continue to advocate for clarity and shared micromobility’s continued inclusion in infrastructure funding moving forward.