When Windsor City Council meets on Monday to continue budget deliberations, two members plan to present a proposal to boost Transit Windsor service without impacting the municipal levy.
Ward 9 Councillor Kieran McKenzie describes the current state of bus service as "failing." Chronically underfunded, Transit Windsor riders face a fare increase in this year's budget at a time when they are waiting long periods to catch a ride.
Transit Windsor doesn't have enough buses on the road to meet the demand for service. Even if it did, it doesn't have room in its garage to house more vehicles, and if Transit Windsor ordered buses today, it would still take two years to receive the order. The municipal budget offers no service enhancements, and the long-term solution could be costly.
However, McKenzie said by reallocating some of the buses on the road, Transit Windsor could better meet demand, particularly in underserviced South Windsor.
At the centre of the proposal are buses used by high school students at peak times.
"Transition some of the buses currently being used as school bus extras into regular service buses," said McKenzie. "We would still be able to get school children back and forth to school, but it would be the equivalent of ten new buses into the system."
McKenzie said the proposal was part of a larger budget ask by Transit Windsor that didn't make it into the municipal budget.
"We don't have to go out and buy these buses. These are buses that we currently have -- that we are currently able to fit in our transit garage. We are just looking to maximize the service," McKenzie explained.
The change would cost around $600,000. McKenzie said fares could cover half of that, and most of the rest could be from budget stabilization reserves.
Mayor Drew Dilkens could veto the proposal using his new strong mayor powers, but McKenzie hopes he'll adopt it instead.
As for addressing Transit Windsor's long-standing funding shortfall, McKenzie said the federal government could help by boosting gas tax revenues and making it sustainable year after year. That could allow the city to expand the transit garage and its fleet.
The City of Windsor covers half of Transit Windsor's budget, with the rest coming from fares and funding from senior governments.