Greater Sudbury Transit's hopes for attracting more riders got a boost Friday with the announcement of $5.3 million in federal funding for a host of projects in the city.
Nickel Belt MP Marc Serré and Sudbury MP Paul Lefebvre made the announcement at a news conference at the Valley East Public Library.
"Another great announcement for our community," Serré said, of the funding from the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund. "Today, there are 79 transit projects that are being announced across Ontario. Paul and I have worked hard to make sure these transit dollars aren't just going to southern Ontario."
The money includes plans to improve cycling infrastructure on The Kingsway, Lasalle Boulevard, Westmount Avenue, Notre Dame Avenue and Paris Street.
"This is a good start, but we need to do more on the cycling in the region," Serré said.
He said he worked for Sudbury Transit for a few years while he was in university, and it was a great experience.
"I have some very fond memories, and you kind of also learn about human behaviour when you're a bus driver. There's a lot of good interaction and a lot of learning."
Lefebvre said the funding announcement came the same week that the census showed Greater Sudbury's population is getting bigger, even if it's just one per cent.
"Some people say that's small, but it's still significant considering that in Northern Ontario, we are the only community that is growing," he said. "And that's really good news. It means our city is growing and that our innovation-based economy is attracting people to Sudbury. It also means we are attracting immigrants -- I know that because at my downtown office in Sudbury, I have someone who works full-time just on immigration."
Transit improvements are important to attract immigrants, as well as helping seniors and other residents get to where they need to go, Lefebvre said. That's one of the reasons the Liberal government has made infrastructure investments a priority.
"In Greater Sudbury, I'm proud to report that Marc and I have announced 17 water/waste water projects, and now 16 transit projects totalling almost $27 million of federal funding," he said.
"That's on top of the Maley Drive funding ... of around $28 million."
Deputy Mayor Al Sizer was joined by city councillors Bob Kirwan, Mark Signoretti, Mike Jakubo, Deb McIntosh and Rene Lapierre. Sizer said increasing ridership at Sudbury Transit is a priority for council. The city is providing $2.65 million for the work, on top of the federal money.
“Greater Sudbury Transit will be made a more attractive choice of transportation by improving access and reliability," Sizer said.
"We will analyze the delivery of Greater Sudbury Transit service, to recommend a new and more efficient network of transit routes, including potential transit hubs. We will renovate our downtown transit terminal to create a friendlier environment for our passengers."
The funding will also help the city repair existing bus shelters and study where existing shelters are underused and move them to busier stops, he said. And the money will help them rebuild 25 buses faster than planned.
