Feds to fund Sault Transit route review

NEWS RELEASE

TERRY SHEEHAN, SAULT MP

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The governments of Canada and Ontario are making investments to create jobs and grow the middle class now while building a foundation for a strong, sustainable economic future.

Investing in public infrastructure supports efficient, affordable and sustainable transit services that help Canadians to safely get to and from work, school and other activities on time.

Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie, on behalf of the Honourable Amarjeet Sohi, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, today announced that multiple new public transit projects will soon be getting under way in Sault Ste. Marie.

These projects include replacing the existing four Parabuses, purchasing and installing surveillance cameras on the Parabus fleet, replacing the existing radio system on buses and transit vehicles, reviewing the conventional transit system to identify opportunities for route redesign, and restoring four Sault Transit pedestrian shelters.

These projects will benefit the community of Sault Ste. Marie and will help to further support Sault Transit. The projects are part of a list of 47 newly approved projects in Northern Ontario under the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund (PTIF).

The federal government is providing up to 50 per cent of funding – close to $300,000 – for these projects and the provincial government and municipalities will provide the balance of funding.

These investments are part of the bilateral agreement between Canada and Ontario, announced on August 23, 2016, and are in addition to the 168 projects announced that day for public transit projects.

“The Government of Canada recognizes how important affordable and efficient transit infrastructure is to growing the middle class and getting students to school, employees to work, and seniors to the services they need on time and back home quickly at the end of a long day. Modern public transit will help make the community of Sault Ste. Marie stronger, more inclusive, and sustainable. I’m very pleased to see how this funding program will benefit Sault Ste. Marie through the projects we’re celebrating today,” said Sheehan.

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