Cash from gas

The City of Thunder Bay has received $2.02 million in gas tax rebates from the province.

The program returns money to communities across Ontario, but restricts its use to making improvements to public transit.

In 2010 the city used it share of the rebate to buy a pair of 40-foot fully accessible buses and two specialized buses for HAGI Community Services for Independence.

MPP Bill Mauro (Thunder Bay-Atikokan) said the program has had a measurable effect in places like Thunder Bay since it was first introduced.

Last year 93 communities across Ontario shard $316 million, which represents two cents per litre of its share of gasoline revenues. Thunder Bay has received about $12 million since the program was first introduced.

“I think the money is targeted to mass transit, so increasing buses, ridership and more frequency of the routes, so the $12 million over the six or seven years of the program helps in that respect,” he said.

“But by having our money for the gas tax to pay for that, it creates tax room for (cities) to fund other priorities for the City of Thunder Bay, like roads and bridges.”
 
City manager Tim Commisso said it is much-needed money the municipality can put to good use.

“The gas tax represents an important contribution to city residents and in particular transit users, by funding ongoing improvements to Thunder Bay Transit,” he said.

According to statistics released by the province, one bus takes up to 40 vehicles of the road a year and removes 25 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from the atmosphere.