Ontario Increases Transit Support for North Bay
March 1, 2021New funding provides added relief to ensure transit remains a reliable travel option
NORTH BAY – Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli is pleased to announce that the Ontario government is providing the City of North Bay with $1,162,221 in funding to help address the financial impacts on its transit system from the COVID-19 pandemic.
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 continue to deliver critical transit services.
“This is great news for North Bay,” said MPP Fedeli. “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.”
“We thank the Province of Ontario for its ongoing support. The City of North Bay has provided transit service throughout the pandemic and this funding with help ensure our residents have continued access to this essential service,” said Mayor Al McDonald.
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. In addition, Ontario is calling on the federal government to match the additional funding announced today to help ensure municipal financial needs continue to be met.
As part of the Safe Restart Agreement funding, municipalities need to work with the province to explore options to ensure local transit is safe, sustainable, affordable and integrated, both during the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond.
To support this work, Ontario is allowing municipalities to use Safe Restart Agreement funding towards new initiatives to make it easier and more affordable to travel between different transit systems, like adding capacity for on-demand microtransit and increasing fare and service integration across the region.
QUICK FACTS
The federal-provincial Safe Restart Agreement is providing up to a total $4 billion in emergency funding to help Ontario’s municipalities deliver critical services.
The first phase of Safe Restart funding flowed $700 million to municipalities in 2020 and to date $1.5 billion funding has been allocated.