Municipalities in Perth and Wellington counties will receive over $809,000 to improve public transit services. The funding is part of the province’s Gas Tax program, which will allocate $375.6 million this year to 107 municipalities that deliver public transit.
Perth-Wellington MPP Randy Pettapiece said many people depend on public transit in the region, and municipalities can count on stable funding from the gas tax to provide those services.
“At the same time, people are driving less because of the pandemic, which would mean less revenue to cover these services. Fortunately for local municipalities, the province is making up the difference,” Pettapiece explained.
Municipalities operating transit services will receive the following amounts:
North Perth - $80,089
Perth East - $73,121
St. Marys (Also serving Perth South, Thames Centre, Zorra) - $142,538
Stratford - $467,929
West Perth - $45,658
Funding for the Gas Tax program is determined by the number of litres of gasoline sold in the province during the previous year. Municipalities that support public transit services in their community receive two cents per litre of provincial Gas Tax revenue, which can be used to extend service hours, buy transit vehicles, add routes, improve accessibility or upgrade infrastructure.
To make up for reduced gas sales due to COVID-19, this year’s Gas Tax funding includes one-time additional funding of $120.4 million to ensure municipalities can support their transit systems.
“Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we have seen how critical public transit is for frontline workers and for Ontarians who depend on these services to get to medical appointments, the grocery store and other important locations,” said Caroline Mulroney, Minister of Transportation.
“Gas Tax funding remains a vital source of long-term transit funding that municipalities can rely on to help operate and expand existing public transit services – ensuring people have access to safe and reliable transportation when they need it,” Mulroney added.