Some familiar funding has been allocated for North Grenville by the province this month. Local MPP Steve Clark announced via press release that North Grenville will be getting $60,071 in transit funding this year, while the nearby city of Brockville will be getting over $225,000. This seems logical, given the population difference, but there is also a difference in the type of transit system. Brockville has a regular bus service, while North Grenville does not. A spokesperson for the Municipality confirmed that the funding for North Grenville is intended to support the accessible transit service, and that it is something we have been receiving for a number of years.
The money comes from the province’s gas tax program. 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 collected.
“Our government knows that municipal transit systems are essential to the success of our local communities, connecting people and families to jobs, housing and wherever they need to go,” said
MPP Clark. “To make up for reduced gas sales due to ongoing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, this year’s gas tax program includes one-time additional funding of $80 million to help ensure municipalities can continue to support their transit systems.”
Gas tax funding can be used to extend service hours, buy transit vehicles, add routes, improve
accessibility or upgrade local infrastructure. Late last year, Council received a transit study that explored several options for bringing additional services to North Grenville. At that time, Council decided to move ahead with exploring options for a municipal wide, on demand transit system, with anticipated implementation some time in 2024.
Having a transit service available – such as municipal buses – has been a popular request from North Grenville residents for years. While a full scale bus service may not be feasible for a municipality this size, options are being set in motion, and steps will soon be made toward adding onto what service we already have.