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Mayor Drew Dilkens tried to stop some councilors on Wednesday calling for major expansions of the transit system by highlighting investments worth millions of dollars that are already underway.
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“There are some on the board who have made transit the issue in this budget (2022), and I think people should realize that there is a responsibility to make investments, but also a responsibility to be responsible and prudent with those investments.” Dilkens said next. an information session at Transit Windsor’s Tecumseh Mall terminal, the starting point for the most prominent improvement in service in next year’s budget: Express Route 518X to St. Clair College. It started as a pilot project in September and is scheduled to become a full route in 2022.
It is a “great example” of investments that are being made, which counter the claims of several councilors who advocate for major improvements. They cite Windsor’s provincial position on the level of service and municipal investment in transit. On Tuesday, the city’s Windsor Transit Advisory Committee, with four councilors on board, urged the council to move forward with several transit improvements that are not recommended by the administration, in order to advance the Transit Master Plan that targets to double the service and the number of passengers in the coming years. years.
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It is not an objection to investing in transit, it is an objection to not doing it intelligently
But Dilkens insisted: “We have advanced with the master plan and with regard to investments we have made investments.” He cited investments such as the installation of 180 new bus canopies, 24 new buses due to arrive in 2022, and $ 760,000 for continued implementation of the master plan next year.
He said all council members approved the master plan and that he continues to support it.
“It is not an objection to investing in transit, it is an objection to not doing it wisely.”
The problem is the next major route addition required by the master plan, the express route 418X that would skip stops on an east-west route along Tecumseh Road to cut travel time to the University of Lancer Center in half. Windsor. The transit advisory committee wants the 418X to start in 2022 because it is needed before further route improvements can be made.
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But Dilkens said: “This is not the year we can afford to do it.”
With ridership at 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels, and local economic uncertainty tied to the pending second shift loss at Stellantis, 1,100 workers still at Caesars Windsor, and inflation rates not seen in 20 years, the 418X will have wait until at least 2023, he said.
The 418X would cost about $ 2 million a year to operate, and the cost to the city after fee revenue would come to about $ 1 million. The 518X, which has proven to be wildly successful, will cost $ 588,000 to operate next year, and only $ 196,035 will come out of the base budget. The remaining $ 392,000 will come from a reserve fund to soften the blow to taxpayers. The total cost will appear in the 2023 budget.
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Transit Windsor CEO Tyson Cragg said the service continues to grow despite the impact of the pandemic, which has forced capacity restrictions and other safety precautions.
“With investments made in public transportation, we will continue to improve service and amenities, and make the passenger experience even better for our valued customers,” he said in a press release.
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Transit Windsor resumed normal hours in September after operating reduced hours for much of the pandemic. He returned to a reduced schedule last week to address a staff shortage caused when some employees failed to meet the city’s immunization mandate and were placed on leave without pay.
The recommended budget calls for $ 16.3 million for Transit Windsor, with capital projects worth $ 63 million planned over the next 10 years.
Reference-windsorstar.com