Better Public Transit for NWO Including Schreiber, Terrace Bay and Greenstone

Written by admin on 12 November 2015

Thunder Bay and Region to receive over $1,980,000 in gas tax funding

Ontario’s Gas Tax Program is helping people in Thunder Bay and the Region get out of their cars and onto public transit.

For the 12th consecutive year, Ontario is providing support to Thunder Bay, Schreiber / Terrace Bay and Greenstone to improve its public transit system. This year these municipalities will receive a combination of $1,980,152 in gas tax funding; with the following specific totals for each area:

Greenstone $ 7,796
Schreiber / Terrace Bay 21,902
Thunder Bay 1,950,454

“Communities across the province are benefiting from our government’s Gas Tax Program. By providing funding directly to municipalities like Greenstone, Thunder Bay, and Schreiber/Terrace Bay we are helping local decision makers to meet the unique transportation needs of Northwestern Ontario.” Michael Gravelle, MPP Thunder Bay Superior North

Ontario is building safe, reliable infrastructure to help create jobs and ensure a bright future for the province. Between April and September of this year alone, the province announced support for more than 200 projects that will keep people and goods moving, strengthen the economy, connect communities and improve quality of life. The 2015-16 gas tax funding builds on that progress.

“Transit plays a critical role in the vitality of our City and contributes to quality of life for citizens and visitors taking over 10,000 trips daily on our Transit system. Thunder Bay gratefully acknowledges the Province’s ongoing investment in the Gas Tax Program. This funding allows us to continue to improve Transit locally and work towards closing the infrastructure gap through enhanced infrastructure renewal.” Mayor Keith Hobbs, City of Thunder Bay

Investing in transit is part of the government’s plan to build Ontario up. The four-part plan includes investing in people’s talents and skills, making the largest investment in public infrastructure in Ontario’s history, creating a dynamic, innovative environment where business thrives, and building a secure retirement savings plan.

QUICK FACTS

In 2013, Ontario made its funding for the Gas Tax Program permanent to help municipalities improve transit.
One bus takes up to 40 vehicles off the road, and keeps 25 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere each year.
In 2014, there was an increase of more than 217 million trips on municipal transit systems across the province, compared to 2003. This is the equivalent of removing approximately 181 million car trips from Ontario roads.
Ontario’s population is expected to grow by approximately 40 per cent by 2041, placing additional importance on having modern infrastructure to support a growing population.
Research shows that every $100 million of public infrastructure investment in Ontario boosts GDP by $114 million, particularly in construction and manufacturing sectors.

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