Belleville transit system to get boost in infrastructure
by Chad Ibbotson
The Belleville transit system will be able to improve bus services after receiving $414,000 from the provincial government on Friday.
"I just don't think (the buses) are in good shape. The newer ones aren't bad but the really, really old ones, they need to get rid of those," said Amber Keegan, 18, in the esthetics program at Loyalist College.
The McGuinty government has given the City of Belleville money to upgrade transit infrastructure. The funds can help the transit system modernize equipment and facilities, which is badly needed, according to the Manager of Fleet and Transit for Belleville Transit.
"It's a big help," said Peter Hodgson.
"It will come with restrictions on what you can spend it on and I believe from what I've heard it's (for) capital (expenditures)," he said.
"There are a lot of capital projects that we can do but that will be up to council to decide. There are a lot of things that need upgrading. We've been upgrading the fleet and all the buildings need work, too," said Hodgson.
Although Hodgson thinks the money will be a welcome aid, he said it's not going to help much with regular transit issues.
"It's capital funding; it's not to go into the budget to help with the operation," he said.
According to Tony Judd, assistant to Hastings and Prince Edward County MPP Leona Dombrowsky, the money is ready to be deposited.
"The funds are available now. The Ministry of Transportation is sending letters out to the municipality. The City of Belleville will actually have to pass a bylaw in order to qualify for the funds. As soon as City Council has enacted the bylaw then the funds will be released by the ministry," said Judd
The bylaw is procedural and states that the City of Belleville will agree to spending the money within provincial guidelines.
There are limitations as to what the funds can be used for, Judd said.
"The funding is contingent on that it must be used for transit purposes. It's capital funding so it has to be used for transit infrastructure," he said.
New infrastructure could include new buses, new bus shelters and upgrading information systems.
"They could use it to upgrade their computer systems; GPS technology, for example. It must be used for transit infrastructure so it has to be hardware," he said.
The money will be a great way to help out the exhausted bus lines, said Judd.
"No doubt about it," he said. "The mayor is very enthusiastic. Investing in public transit is definitely the way to go. It's good for the community, it improves the quality of life; gives residents greater options for mobility. By reducing the number of car trips it is also good for the environment by reducing greenhouse gas emissions," said Judd.
The new specialized buses would include hybrid buses that could further help the environment, something Judd said is important.
"The McGuinty government is a strong believer in improving public transit in cities so our government has made investing in public transit a priority," he said.
Over the past five years the government has given the City Of Belleville over $10 million to improve, upgrade and expand its transit system. Gas tax revenues transferred by the McGuinty government between 2007 and 2008 accounted for $707,803. Belleville transit has nine bus routes that cover the city, providing transportation for 3,000 passengers per day.
Many students at Loyalist College rely on those bus routes. Without the buses it would be nearly impossible for students without their own vehicle to live off campus because Loyalist is kilometres away from the downtown core.
"These funds will continue to permit Belleville Transit to aggressively modernize its fleet, thereby improving service to our riders," said Mayor Neil Ellis in a press release. |
