City to be flexible on spending transit funds
If more buses aren’t needed, city could look at building a bus storage garage, Pappas says
City council voted a final time at a virtual council meeting Monday night to sign an agreement to receive $10 million in federal and provincial grants for transit buses.
But councillors want details from city staff about the process of applying to reallocate the grant money to other transit projects — perhaps building a bus storage garage, Coun. Dean Pappas suggested — if it turns out a forthcoming transit report doesn’t see the need to buy new buses after all.
The federal and provincial money — announced in early summer — is expected to help with $14.2 million in transit projects including the replacement and refurbishment of conventional buses.
The city’s share toward the projects would be about $3.6 million.
At a committee meeting earlier this month, Coun. Keith Riel called for a deferral on signing the agreement because he didn’t want to commit now to paying for new buses that a forthcoming transit study might not deem necessary.
He wanted to see whether the city could reallocate the funds for other areas of need, but city staff said the grants were offered only for transit.
On Monday Riel said he spoke with city staff about it and felt “better informed” to vote — and also that he wouldn’t want to pass up the grant money.
But he added that he’s still “reluctant” to continue spending on a transit system that he says is failing low-income people and seniors in the COVID-19 pandemic.
The bus routes were redesigned in June for less crowding at the main terminal on Simcoe Street in the pandemic, but Riel notes there are fewer routes now — and longer waits — for many people who depend on buses.
If there turns out to be some way to “earmark” the money for other needs, he said, he would vote in favour of reallocation.
Meanwhile, Peterborough resident Tricia Clarkson asked council in her delegation at the virtual meeting to consider buying electric buses.
She urged council to consider buying two electric city buses, a small electric commuter bus to make runs into Peterborough County, two electric handi-vans and infrastructure to plug in these buses, for example, but council didn’t discuss it.
Also at the council meeting on Monday:
Airport advisory committee
Council voted a final time to strike a new committee to advise council on matters related to the Peterborough Airport.
Mayor Diane Therrien, Coun. Stephen Wright and Coun. Don Vassiliadis will be unpaid appointees to the committee, along with four volunteer members of the public with expertise in fields such as aerospace and law.
Coun. Don Vassiliadis said he looks forward to working with experts to “grow the airport along with our fast-growing city.”
“Our city is targeted for fast growth — and our airport can be considered another reason for cities to locate in Peterborough,” he said.