Windsor is investing $63M in transit, including buying new buses and repairing old ones
Ridership has bounced back 118 per cent compared to what it was before the pandemic
The city of Windsor has announced plans to invest $63 million in public transit over the next 10 years.
Mayor Drew Dilkens and Transit Windsor executive director Tyson Cragg also said that the city to date has purchased 24 new buses and added upgrades to the existing fleet to extend the lifespan.
While Transit Windsor has just completed the purchase of the buses, there are no plans for further purchases.
"We just completed our last purchase of 24 and they have just recently been placed into service," Cragg said. "We don't have any immediate plans for other purchases, that's pending some senior government approvals right now."
They also highlighted that $120,000 was invested to enhance Handi-Transit operations and to encourage accessibility for all riders. Additionally, $200,000 was dedicated to major repair costs for the hybrid buses, while $51,000 was allotted to maintain and replace bus shelters, signs and other customer amenities.
Dilkens said that with new jobs coming to Windsor as a result of the building of the Gordie Howe International Bridge, the Stellantis-LG Energy solution electric vehicle battery factory and the new Windsor Regional Hospital, investing in transit is a commitment.
"That means new jobs, new families coming to the area and evolving the diverse needs when it comes to public transit," he said. "We are continuing to invest in Transit Windsor to ensure that it grows alongside our community as it grows."
"We are committed to making transit accessible, efficient, and comfortable for all residents, and these investments demonstrate our dedication to enhancing public transit services for our community," Dilkens said.
Don't ever think we're going to make it a transit-only city and make it difficult for people to move around if they want to own a car.- Drew Dilkens
Cragg said that Transit Windsor will be able to offer tunnel bus service for special events when COVID-19 vaccination rules expire in the U.S., which he expects will happen in May.
"We want to make sure we don't compromise ... the scheduled service that ratepayers pay for on this side of the border to do special events. Special events is a very labour and equipment intensive service and we need to make sure we have proper staffing levels in place," Cragg said.
Transit Windsor's latest reports show a 118 per cent recovery in ridership compared to levels before the pandemic.
"With a strong rebound in ridership, we are excited about the future and will be putting these new resources to good use in making Transit Windsor the trusted mobility solution for Windsor-Essex residents," Cragg said.
"We want to have a good transit system, there's no doubt about it," Dilkens said. "But don't ever think we're going to make it a transit-only city and make it difficult for people to move around if they want to own a car."
Funding priorities
The announcement comes after Windsor council allocated less funding than requested to transit last week.
On the other hand, the city opted to allocate an extra $4.4 million over the next four years to help revive ailing residential roads, a much-discussed issue during council budget deliberations.
"From a funding standpoint, it shows that transit is still first on the chopping block to go when it comes to trying to rein budget costs in," Gabriel Ciavaglia of Activate Transit Windsor-Essex said earlier this month.
"It still shows it's not as big of a priority to council as I think other cities deem transit to be."
With files from CBC News