Transit fleet upgrades are on the way
The city’s transit fleet is soon to get new buses, as well as some major refurbishments for older buses, with the $14.1-million cost shared between the federal and provincial governments along with the city.
The federal government will cover $5.8 million of that cost, announced Women and Gender Equality Minister Maryam Monsef at a video conference on Wednesday. The government of Ontario had previously committed $4.7 million, under the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program, leaving the city to cover $3.6 million.
The idea is to allow greater accessibility to public transit, said Monsef at the announcement — and the importance of that has been underscored during the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
“Buses got essential workers to their jobs,” Monsef said, and continue to provide crucial transportation now.
MPP Dave Smith was also at the video conference and said transit projects are crucial.
“Transit is key, in our urban areas, to make sure the economy is moving,” he said. “It’s not just an investment in transit: it’s an investment in people, in our province … We’re connecting people to places, and to their jobs.”
The money is expected to cover six transit projects including: á Purchase of six new conventional buses to replace older ones in the Peterborough Transit fleet (at a cost of approximately $4 million). á Purchase of four new accessible buses to replace older ones in the fleet ($720,000)
á Purchase of two new HandiVans to add to the fleet ($360,000)
á Purchase of 15 new accessible buses, over the next three years, to add to the fleet ($7.8 million)
á Major refurbishment of eight conventional buses in the Peterborough Transit fleet, including replacement of major components such as engine, transmissions and passenger seating ($1.2 million) á One new replacement for a Peterborough County Caremobile á One new replacement Caremobile accessible van for Peterborough County in 2021 ($63,000)
Ontario Infrastructure Minister Laurie Scott, the MPP for Haliburton-Kawartha LakesBrock, was also at the video conference and called it “a great day for Peterborough.”
Mayor Diane Therrien was at the announcement too, as well as transportation co-chair Coun. Kemi Akapo and Coun. Don Vassiliadis.
Peterborough Transit is about to introduce a new set of redesigned routes on June 28; instead of 17 routes there will be nine.
Therrien said the new routes are meant to reduce crowding on buses and at the transit terminal during the COVID-19 pandemic, and that the routes may change again when pandemic emergency measures are no longer in place.