Gas Tax is getting people out of cars and onto public transit

Nipissing MPP Monique Smith
News Release

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Gas Tax is getting people out of cars and onto public transit.

This year, the City of North Bay will receive $1,013,403 in Gas Tax funding to go towards public transit improvements. Last year, North Bay invested their gas tax allocation in a Go Green campaign focused on increasing youth ridership.  As well, the funds assisted in the purchase of two new accessible transit busses and a new PARA bus.  The Gas Tax funding also helps the City of North Bay to offset operating costs allowing the transit fares to remain reasonable.

Ontario shares two cents per litre of gas tax revenues with municipalities to expand and improve their public transit systems – in North Bay and across Ontario. Better transit means that more people are leaving their cars at home, which helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Ongoing investments in public transit is part of the Open Ontario plan to build infrastructure and create jobs in local communities.

“I am very pleased the province continues to invest in North Bay public transit, allowing for significant improvements to our transit system,” said Monique Smith, MPP for Nipissing. “Including this investment, the City of North Bay will have received $6,093,095 in gas tax funding from the province over the last six years.”

“We are pleased with the continued support of the Provincial Gas Tax.  It has funded projects such as the construction of the Transit Terminal on Oak Street, the acquisition of accessible buses, and has helped to keep our operating costs down.  This is exactly the kind of sustainable funding communities need,” said North Bay Mayor, Vic Fedeli.

“Ontario’s dedicated Gas Tax Program provides sustainable transit funding municipalities can count on to improve transit services across the province. Our record investments in public transit strengthen Ontario’s economy, improve air quality and build strong communities.”
– Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Transportation

QUICK FACTS

One bus takes up to 40 vehicles off the road, and keeps 25 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere each year.

Since 2003, public transit ridership has increased by approximately 110 million passenger trips province-wide. This is the equivalent of removing 91 million car trips from our roads.

Ontario has provided municipalities with more than $1.3 billion in Gas Tax funding since 2004, in addition to the $316 million allocation in the 2009-10 program year.

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