Transit Windsor plans to expand its system with the new gas tax funding it just received from the province.
Executive Director Pat Delmore says the city got $3.78-million, which is an extra $250,000 over last year because of a 2.6% jump in ridership in 2016. Delmore says the money will go into the operating budget and spent accordingly.
"There are a number of service enhancements that are taking place. There are some that are in the 2018 budget that are there for consideration," says Delmore.
The province says municipalities were given $357.2-million this year, which is the most since the program began in 2004. The province promises the gas tax funding will increase to about $401.3-million in 2019-2020, $481.5-million in 2020–2021 and $642 million in 2021–2022. It says one bus takes up to 40 vehicles off the road and keeps 25 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere each year.
Delmore says the annual funding allows the system to improve every year.
"We get this money but we wouldn't be able to do some of these things that we are doing if it wasn't in our operating budget," Delmore says.
Delmore says the news gets better as Transit Windsor moves forward.
"Our ridership is up even more this year. So, taking into consideration this $250,000 this year, we're are going to see an even larger amount next year," says Delmore.
