$1.8M committed by Ontario provincial government for St. Thomas transit

It was a big day for transit in St. Thomas, Ont. on Thursday, as the province announced it would commit just over $1.84 million in funding for several transit infrastructure projects in the city.

The projects, which include the acquisition of 14 new transit buses, four of them expansion buses, and the procurement of 40 signalized intersections with transit priority signals, have been nominated to receive funding from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program (ICIP), Jeff Yurek, MPP for Elgin-Middlesex-London, said.

The $30 billion, 10-year ICIP sees infrastructure projects submitted for funding cost-shared between all three levels of government. The province’s share per project is 33.33 per cent, the government says.

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The submitted projects now await review and approval from the federal government on the basis of ICIP eligibility.

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In a statement, Laurie Scott, the province’s minister of infrastructure, said the projects will help residents get around faster and spend less time commuting.

“St. Thomas is a stronger, more modern city with a transit system that meets the needs of riders and business,” said Mayor Joe Preston in a statement.

“Allowing citizens the ability to travel as they need is important.”

Earlier this year, the province nominated 10 transit projects in London — including the three segments that make up London’s downsized BRT system — for just over $100 million in ICIP funding.

Those projects also await federal approval.