A recent virtual meeting to discuss the Federal government's announcement for funding for rural transit attracted over forty rural stakeholders as well as representatives from Infrastructure Canada.
Rural Ontario Institute Executive Director, Norm Ragetlie, describes the meeting as an opportunity for the rural stakeholders to share what they know about rural transportation challenges.
"It was an opportunity really for the rural stakeholders to share what they know about rural transportation challenges so that the program designed for that funding can recognize the context the people looking for that funding are operating in and what should be kept in mind by the Federal government in terms of program design."
Ragetlie says systems are being established in rural communities all over Ontario and one thing that was recognized as being critical to the success of all of them is that they be linked or inter connected and that there be funding to encourage that inter-connection.
"Not just the operating and the capital costs that the individual systems have or establishing new systems, but that there should be encouragement for being able to move either through a one fare system or some sort of integration."
Ragetlie says it was also clear that throughout Ontario, each regions has its own unique challenges and situations and it was generally accepted that those differences have to be recognized.
