County gains $500,000 toward transit plans

Prince Edward County will receive $500,000 from the province’s Community Transportation Grant Program.

Bay of Quinte MPP Todd Smith made the announcement Friday, noting Quinte West will receive $303,135.

“This investment will improve the quality of life for many people in our communities that are currently under served by transit,” Smith said. “Whether it’s seniors, students or others, access to transit helps people get where they need to be and live active, independent lives.”

Last June, County council approved a Public Transit Plan and Business Case as a guide for future development of public transit.

The municipality and the County Foundation, with support from the Vital Signs Getting Around working group, and local transit service providers developed a five-year plan, which includes several guiding principles:
• Provide mobility options to all residents of the County, including options to make local trips within the County;
• Improve connections to seasonal employment opportunities in the County to bolster the growing tourism industry;
• Make use of existing transportation resources and seek partnerships with key stakeholders to improve the service;
• Provide a sustainable and cost-effective service in line with other rural communities in the County’s peer group; and,
• Build on the service incrementally, monitoring response in demand before growing further.

The Community Transportation Grant Program – Municipal Stream builds on the two-year pilot program established in 2015, to fund the development of community transportation solutions to address local needs, including ways to better utilize existing transportation resources. The total funding available is $30 million for a five-year program. The maximum individual grant is $500,000 for local community transportation projects and $1.5 M for inter-community bus projects.

The grants are awarded to municipalities to partner with community organizations, health agencies, transit agencies, school-bus and private transportation operators, to coordinate local transportation services or run inter-community routes.