Ontario's transportation ministry is working on a plan to bridge gaps and better connect communities.
Kinga Surma, the parliamentary assistant to Minister Jeff Yurek, has been hosting roundtable discussions with municipal stakeholders. She said a couple of issues were highlighted at a recent gathering in Sarnia.
"Highway infrastructure, buses, and of course rail," said Surma. "But they did highlight the lack of regular or frequent connection to London, which was a challenge, and of course regular transportation to Grand Bend where there is opportunity for employment."
Surma said they're also trying to improve government grant programs, noting it's a challenge for municipalities to substantiate need without established ridership numbers.
"If a municipality had a pilot for a year or so, where there was connectivity between municipalities, it takes some time for people to get to know that's an option as a transit route for them, and so it takes time to build up that ridership," she said.
As far as better passenger rail service is concerned, Surma said the province is aware of the need but its federal jurisdiction.