THUNDER BAY – The Ontario government has allocated additional funding to enhance and expand public transit services in Thunder Bay as part of its gas tax program. The program will provide over $379.5 million to 107 municipalities to improve their local transit systems, including Thunder Bay ($2,233,767), Greenstone ($37,726), Atikokan ($24,438), and Schreiber ($22.830).
Municipalities supporting public transit in their communities will receive two cents per litre of provincial gas tax revenue collected based on the number of litres of gasoline sold in the previous year.
Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan, stated that municipal transit systems are vital to the success of local communities as they connect people and families to employment, housing, and other necessary destinations.
“Our government knows that municipal transit systems are essential to the success of our local communities, connecting people and families to jobs, housing and wherever they need to go,” said MPP Kevin Holland
The gas tax program’s funding can be utilized to purchase transit vehicles, improve accessibility, extend service hours, upgrade local infrastructure, and add routes. In addition, the gas tax program includes $80 million in supplementary funding to assist municipalities in supporting their transit systems amid reduced gas sales caused by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
Caroline Mulroney, the Minister of Transportation, believes that public transit is an important driver of economic growth in Ontario, allowing people to commute to work, school, or run errands, and the government will continue to provide municipalities with the necessary funding to accommodate growing ridership while ensuring safe and reliable transit service for the community.
“Public transit is a key driver of economic growth in Ontario, helping people get to where they need to go, whether it is to work, school, or run errands,” said Mulroney.
