Province Gives Niagara, Ontario’s Largest City A Chunk Of Gas Tax Money For Transit

(This June 3 media release comes from the office of St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley and Liberal government cabinet minister, and is being posted for our readers information. It speaks to a continued commitment on the part of the government to use some gas tax money to support public transit.)

St. Catharines, Ontario— Provincial support through the gas tax is getting more people in St. Catharines out of their cars and onto public transit. The Gas Tax program is helping public transit in St. Catharines become more convenient, accessible and comfortable for commuters by funding improvements.

St. Catharines MPP and Ontario cabinet minister Jim Bradley

“Gas tax funding helps municipalities deliver public transit here in St. Catharines and across the province,” said St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley. “Our record investments in public transit strengthen Ontario’s economy by helping people get to work, school, and to visit friends, while reducing gridlock and emissions.”

One bus takes up to 40 vehicles off the road, and keeps 25 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere each year
This year, City of St. Catharines Transit will receive $2,624,526 in Gas Tax funding. Since 2004, City of St. Catharines has received $13,505,921 in provincial funds for municipal transit.

“Gas tax funds allowed St. Catharines Transit to make 95% of the bus routes in our community accessible and will further enhance our public transit as an automated vehicle location system is introduced to strengthen customer services for our growing ridership,” said Mayor Brian McMullan.

Here is how the funds have improved transit in St. Catharines:

·    Purchased three low floor diesel-electric hybrid buses
·    Increased accessible bus routes from 50 per cent to 95 per cent due to new low floor bus purchases
·    Installed an automated stop announcement system
·    Replaced all antiquated fare boxes with new electronic fare boxes.

Ninety-three transit systems in 120 communities across the province will share $318 million in provincial gas tax funding for municipal transit this year. Since 2004, the Province has granted more than $1.9 billion to municipal transit in Ontario municipalities.

The McGuinty government’s investments in public transit have helped expand and improve transit services in St. Catharines and across Ontario – increasing ridership by 102 million passenger trips since 2003. This took 85 million car trips off our roads.

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