New buses, bus routes and bus stops improving local transit across Ontario

The Voice of Canada News:

Ontario is working to support municipalities and get people moving by investing up to $790,000 for new transit infrastructure projects in the City of Kawartha Lakes.

“These transit projects will make a real difference in people’s lives,” said Laurie Scott, Minister of Infrastructure. “Better public transit creates stronger communities. It helps people spend less time commuting to work and home, and more time doing the things they love with those they care about most.”

The funding includes new buses, bus routes and bus stops plus a new transit hub and expanding Lindsay Transit’s bus maintenance facility. Investments will also include transit software upgrades, five new replacement buses, seven bus-mounted bike racks, and more bike routes linking riders to road networks.

This project is being nominated under the Public Transit stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), a 10-year, $30-billion fund that provides support to help municipalities repair or build critical infrastructure. This is part of the government’s 10-year, $144-billion strategic infrastructure capital plan, which includes over $90 billion for public transit and provincial highways over the next decade.

The project in the City of Kawartha Lakes is in addition to 56 new transit projects being nominated outside of the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. These transit projects are worth more than $100 million in provincial funding. As of today, Ontario has nominated 350 infrastructure projects to the federal government to get people moving and grow the economy. The projects are now with the federal government for final funding decisions as they are reviewed for eligibility under the ICIP program. Some projects could begin as soon as fall 2019.

“Ontario is ready to get shovels in the ground and get people moving,” said Scott. “With our plan, businesses, families and workers can count on an Ontario that will move faster than ever before.”

“Our government’s transit vision is helping to get people moving by improving our transportation network and creating a better transit experience for commuters,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation. “We’re continuing to work with municipalities to make smart investments in our roads and local transit services that keep them reliable for workers, families and businesses.”

Quick Facts

• Lindsay Transit has three bus routes in the town of Lindsay, which is the main population centre in the City of Kawartha Lakes in east-central Ontario, Canada.
• The Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program is a $30 billion, 10-year infrastructure program cost-shared between federal, provincial and municipal governments. Ontario’s share per project will be up to 33.33 per cent or about $10.2 billion spread across four streams: 1. Rural and Northern, 2. Public Transit, 3. Community, Culture and Recreation, and 4. Green.
• Funding is allocated to transit systems based on a municipality’s or municipalities’ share of total transit ridership in Ontario as per the 2015 Canadian Urban Transit Association Fact Book. This allocations-based funding model was set by the federal government.
• The combined investment from Ontario, federal and local governments for the 57 transit projects forwarded under the Outside GTHA Public Transit stream would be more than $362 million.
• The government also nominated 144 transit projects for municipalities outside the GTHA, as well as 144 road, bridge, air and marine infrastructure projects under the Rural and Northern stream.
• In May 2019, the Province nominated five priority projects in the City of Toronto and Region of York, including the Ontario Line and Yonge North subway extension.
• On July 22, 2019 the government announced that 11 eligible municipalities inside the GTHA could apply for funding under the ICIP program. Those applications must be submitted by October 24, 2019. Information on additional intakes will be released when available.
• Intakes for the Green and Community, Culture and Recreation streams will launch later this year.