THUNDER BAY – A new infrastructure partnership between the federal and provincial governments will bring millions in public transit funding to Thunder Bay over the next decade.
Thunder Bay is eligible to receive a maximum of $33 million from Ottawa and an additional $27 million from Ontario over the next 10 years through the new bilateral agreement, the federal government announced after it was officially signed by federal Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi and his Ontario counterpart Bob Chiarelli on Friday.
An effective public transit system can make a big difference, said MP Patty Hajdu (Lib., Thunder Bay-Superior North).
“People take the bus to work and they need to get to and from appointments. They need to be able to access services,” Hajdu said.
“When we have a transit system that works, is accessible and that people want to take, that’s when we see people being able to more easily manage their lives.”
Hajdu said decisions about how to spend the new dollars will be made by the city but mentioned new buses and additional routes could be possibilities.
The city is currently developing a new transportation master plan, a 20-year roadmap guiding future policy decisions to develop and improve Thunder Bay’s entire transportation network.
It’s been more than 20 years since Hajdu first utilized the city’s public transit but she said there are issues today for riders.
“People still struggle with transit,” Hajdu said. “They struggle with the times of the buses. They struggle with the routes. They struggle with waiting outside in really cold weather. For many people it’s the only mode of transportation. We are a car-intensive city.”
The announcement is expected to be the first of multiple funding envelopes shared by the federal and provincial governments, which will likely include green infrastructure, community, cultural and recreational infrastructure and rural and northern community infrastructure.
Hajdu said there is some overlap between public transit and green infrastructure.
“Part of the focus of ensuring cities had access to funding for increasing transit access was about greening of Canada and of communities. We know when more people take public transit it’s better for the environment,” she said.
Other area municipalities are receiving funding over the next decade, including a combined $355,000 for Fort Frances, $33,000 for Greenstone and nearly $30,000 for Schreiber.
That money creates new opportunities to address challenges in those communities, Hajdu said.
“There are people for various reasons that struggle getting back and forth to the city. That might be one way municipalities choose to use their money, looking at solutions that could transport people to medical appointments to centres within the region,” Hajdu said. “There are a number of other things they may be able to support in terms of transporting kids to activities.”
