The City of Windsor is upgrading its transit system after a joint federal-provincial-municipal investment of more than $117 million.
These upgrades include improved bus stops and terminals, new technologies and a larger fleet.
This investment will also help the city purchase new hybrid electric buses and phase out old diesel ones.
“This is the largest federal investment ever in Windsor’s public transit and it comes at the most vital time when demand is growing because our community is growing. I talk to seniors, students, workers and business owners all the time who tell me reliable public transit is critical to their day to day. You see our federal government making historic investments in a modern Transit Windsor, a new bridge, and a new battery plant that is together modernizing how our community moves,” said Irek Kusmierczyk, MP for Windsor—Tecumseh.
The federal government is investing $45,527,116 through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to support 10 transit projects. The Government of Ontario is contributing $37,935,470 and the City of Windsor is contributing $34,315,651.
“Public Transit is obviously recognized as a necessity, and a key economic driver by all three levels of government, and these investments will go a long way to improving our rider experience. Between the transit terminal expansions and relocations to come, and the renovations to our main garage where our great staff keep the buses rolling smoothly, we’re excited to be celebrating this partnership today,” said Kieran McKenzie City Councillor and Transit Board Member.
“Transit Windsor lifts barriers to transportation for thousands of Windsorites. Today’s provincial investment reflects the strong collaboration that the Government of Ontario maintains with the City of Windsor and the Government of Canada to build transportation options for the residents of Windsor and Tecumseh.” said Andrew Dowie, MPP, Windsor-Tecumseh.
Project Information:
| Location | Project Name | Project Details | Federal Funding | Provincial Funding | Municipal Funding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| City of Windsor | Replacement of existing rolling stock vehicles (34 buses) | Procuring up to 34 standard, 40-foot hybrid electric buses to replace aging fleet stock. |
$15,843,091 |
$13,201,256 |
$11,477,676 |
| City of Windsor | Replacement of existing rolling stock vehicles (25 buses) | Acquiring 25 diesel buses over three years to replace existing diesel buses at the end of their life cycle. |
$6,707,286 |
$5,588,846 |
$4,723,606 |
| City of Windsor | Transit Garage Site Work, Exterior Renovations and Electrical Upgrades | Replacement and repair of electrical components and site features in the Transit Windsor Garage. |
$3,886,608 |
$3,238,516 |
$2,870,973 |
| City of Windsor | Transit Windsor Garage Facility Upgrades | Upgrade and expand the Transit Windsor Garage to store more buses, improve its maintenance capacity and operational efficiency. |
$3,879,597 |
$3,232,674 |
$2,896,004 |
| City of Windsor | Acquisition of process equipment to support the bus rehabilitation program. | Rehabilitation and replacement of equipment in a transit garage. |
$3,879,137 |
$3,232,291 |
$2,844,397 |
| City of Windsor | Transit Garage Interior Building Upgrades | Improve the occupied areas of the transit garage by completing office upgrades and improving accessibility features. |
$3,641,289 |
$3,034,104 |
$2,691,830 |
| City of Windsor | West End Terminal Upgrades – Detailed Design and Construction | Improving transit services by upgrading the St. Clair College Terminal and Hotel Dieu Healthcare Terminal in the west part of the city. |
$3,039,580 |
$2,532,730 |
$2,231,430 |
| City of Windsor | East End Terminal Relocation and Bus Stop Amenities | Relocation of the East End terminal station and bus stop improvements to improve user experience, and reliability of service. |
$2,540,780 |
$2,117,105 |
$3,034,598 |
| City of Windsor | Planning and Procurement of Service Delivery Enhancements | Reviewing the existing public transit system to evaluate, purchase, and implement modern technologies. |
$1,813,229 |
$1,510,873 |
$1,347,432 |
| City of Windsor | Quantification of Ridership Through the Use of Automatic Passenger Counters (APC’s) | Purchase and install 60 automatic passenger counters on the remainder of the bus fleet. |
$296,520 |
$247,075 |
$197,705 |
Featured image: (L to R) Angelo Marignani, Ward 7 Councillor; Tyson Cragg, executive director, Transit Windsor; Anthony Leardi, MPP for Essex; Kieran McKenzie, Ward 9 Councillor; Irek Kusmierczyk, MP for Windsor-Tecumseh; and Andrew Dowie, MPP for Windsor-Tecumseh. (Government of Canada)
