Interest for regional transit failing at the county level

A feasibility study to look into funding and governance models for a county-wide transit system will move forward however, many Essex County Council members are in opposition of backing a current system.

At last week’s regular session, director of planning and infrastructure Allan Botham brought forth a report from a transit working group.

Botham said the working group “cautiously supports regional transit” but there has to be a balance between recognizing that the transit system is for the public and doesn’t make money. There is also data that supports an agreement in favour of transit, he added.

County council agreed to dip into the 2026 reserves to do a feasibility study but when it came to allocating $130,000 again from reserves to continue a bus route that goes from Windsor to Leamington with stops in Essex and Kingsville, that was defeated.

While it was Amherstburg Deputy Mayor Chris Gibb who made the motion to support the study, he was against further financing of the current system.

“I can’t bring myself to approve $130,000 for busing for Leamington, Essex and Kingsville. At this point it’s a local issue to deal with,” said Gibb.

According to statistics provided by the county, monthly usage ranges from 700 to 1,100.

“It might be something people want, but I don’t see it as a priority item,” said Lakeshore Deputy Mayor Kirk Walstedt.

Amhersrburg Mayor Michael Prue said that he was against his town funding, through county tax dollars, a transit system that does not benefit them. Amherstburg shares a service with neighbouring LaSalle.

“I know when I go back to Amherstburg they are going to ask how much did we get because right now we get nothing and we run that transit system all by ourselves and we run it with the gas tax money,” said Prue.

Opposition from county councillors did not sit well with Warden Hilda MacDonald who sited the fact that the new roundabout at County Road 42 and Manning Road may not be used by all in the county, but it is being funded with county dollars.

“If we are a regional government, we have to do things that don’t always affect us directly, immediately and I think we’ve had a real struggle with that,” said MacDonald.

MacDonald went on to say that it is a big mistake to think as individual municipalities and not as a regional powerhouse.

In his report to council, Botham pointed out three funding models that came out of the transit working group. These included each municipality funding their own system, the county taking full responsibility for a system and continuing to subsidize the Windsor-Leamington route.

“Our transportation master plan shows there is some interest in regional transit,” said Botham.

Botham also noted that the Regional Transit Working Group does not have enough expertise, time or resources to make recommendations on interim or long-term plans.

Interest for regional transit failing at the county level

By Fred Groves