Public Transit in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent getting $6.2M

Transit Windsor bus in Windsor, Ont. on Thursday, Dec. 2, 2021. (Chris Campbell/CTV Windsor)

Windsor, Ont. -

A big boost is on the way to expand and improve public transit in Windsor, Chatham-Kent, LaSalle, Leamington and Tecumseh.

The Ontario government is providing over $6.2 million for the local municipalities. It’s part of the province’s Gas Tax program, which is allocating $375 million this year to 107 municipalities who deliver public transit.

FUNDING AMOUNTS

• Windsor $4,537,529
• Chatham-Kent $983,991
• Lasalle $283,859
• Leamington $231,587
• Tecumseh $171,226

“We need reliable and affordable public transit so workers and families can travel where they need to when they need to,” said Monte McNaughton, MPP for Lambton-Kent-Middlesex. “Today’s investment will ensure more residents across London, Chatham-Kent and Windsor-Essex can do just that.”

Funding for the Gas Tax program is determined by the number of litres of gasoline sold in the province during the previous year. Municipalities that support public transit services in their community receive two cents per litre of provincial Gas Tax revenue, which can be used to extend service hours, buy transit vehicles, add routes, improve accessibility or upgrade infrastructure.

To make up for reduced gas sales due to COVID-19, this year’s Gas Tax funding includes one-time additional funding of $120.4 million to ensure municipalities can support their transit systems.