Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MPP Bill Walker says three local transit services will receive a total of $184,789 in funding through the Safe Restart Agreement.
A release from Walker’s Office says the government is distributing the funding to help transit systems address the financial impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Walker says this funding is in addition to the $2 billion previously committed by Ontario and the Federal Government through the Safe Restart Agreement to help municipalities deliver critical transit services.
According to the Province, during the peak of the pandemic, ridership dropped by 90 per cent for some of Ontario’s transit systems, which resulted in significant financial impacts for municipalities.
The Town of Hanover (the lead municipality for Saugeen Mobility and Regional Transit, which also serves Arran-Elderslie, Brockton, Chatsworth, Huron-Kinloss, Kincardine, Saugeen Shores, Southgate and West Grey) is receiving $27,106.
The City of Owen Sound is receiving $155,449. According to a past Bayshore Broadcasting report, the City received about$175,000 last year, and still had about $30,000 left over at the end of 2020, to put into a reserve for 2021.
Director of Corporate Services Kate Allan said back in January, the municipal service areas hit hardest by the pandemic have been transit and recreation facilities and explained the Safe Restart money covers the cost of cleaning, adding, the biggest cost to transit is in the lost transit revenues, due to reduced fares and reduced ridership.
The Municipality of Meaford is receiving $2,234.
Walker says in a statement, “This is great news for our local communities with transit services, adding, “COVID-19 continues to impact our transit system and this additional funding will ensure local transit can continue to operate and provide a vital service for those who need it.”
The additional $150 million in provincial funding means that there is a total of $650 million in funding still available to municipalities up to December 31, 2021, with extensions to December 2022 granted on a case-by-case basis.