City, county to get twice as much transit funding: Leal
The city and county will receive more transit funding from the province in 2019 before seeing their gas tax allocation double from two centre per litre to four cents per litre by 2021, Peterborough MPP Jeff Leal announced Monday.
Based on current funding, Peterborough – which has received an average of $1.5 million per year – could get as much as $3 million by 2021-22. The county, which gets an average of $45,000, could see its share increase to $90,000, Leal said.
There will be no increase in the amount of tax Ontarians pay on gasoline as a result of the program enhancement, which was first announced Jan. 27 by Premier Kathleen Wynne.
The “strategic investment” is designed to help local public transit systems grow, Leal said, explaining how time is running out on the 10-year framework put in place in 2008. The province looked at different ways the new accord could look like.
“We want to work with (municipalities) to see some additional funding flowing their way,” said Leal, who is both the minister of agriculture, food and rural affairs and minister for small business, as he made the announcement in the Jack Doris Room at City Hall.
Gas tax funding will increase to 2.5 cents per litre in 2019-20, three cents in 2020-21 and four cents in 2021-22, officials stated.
The city has received $18,609,282 over the past 12 years, which it has used to make major infrastructure upgrades, buy additional vehicles, add more routes, extend hours of service, implement fare strategies and improve accessibility, Leal said.
“That means that amount is not borne by the property taxpayer,” he said.
With the high cost of operating public transit, any additional funding is a good thing, said city transportation chairman Coun. Don Vassilliadis, who joined Leal and Peterborough County Warden Joe Taylor for the announcement.
The city focuses on making public transportation more efficient and will be embracing technology more and more as it moves forward, he said. The added funding could also help it enhance special services, such as the handi-van.
Leal noted that, of particular interest for the county, is that the province is looking at the possibility of funding hybrid public transit systems, such as offering more shuttles in rural areas. “This is something we want to look at ... moving forward.”
With its share of gas tax funding, the county has operated its very successful Community Care Mobile, which offers rural service via two buses, Taylor said.
However, to operate service more efficiently when fewer seats are required, officials would like to utilize smaller vehicles and this additional funding could help that dream get realized even sooner, he said.
NOTES: This year, the province committed $334.5 million in gas tax funding to 99 municipalities, an amount expected to increase to about $401.3 million in 2019-20, $481.5 million in 2020-21 and $642 million in 2021-22 .... One bus takes up to 40 vehicles off the road and keeps 25 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere each year, officials stated.