Rising costs expected if Essex County takes over CWATS

Essex’s County’s County Wide Active Transportation System (CWATS) is going through a transformation that could see a division in who pays for new infrastructure.

Manager of transportation, planning and development Jerry Behl outlined a new plan that would have the county assuming all CWATS infrastructure as part of Essex County council’s April 1 meeting.

“Once infrastructure is built, we will finalize who owns, maintains and replaces the CWATS infrastructure,” said Behl.

Signed routes, bike lanes, paved shoulders, multi-use paths and trails are all part of the CWATS. 

Amherstburg currently has 43.6 total km of the infrastructure and pays about $223,664 to maintain them.

That is broken up locally to 5.3 km of multi-use, 6.8 km of bike lanes, 22 km of paved shoulders and 9.6 km of signed routes.

According to Behl, there is a cost share for new infrastructure as part of the county’s Official Plan. The county pays for 40 per cent in rural areas and local municipalities pay for 60 per cent. The county pays for 100 per cent in urban areas.

“We aren’t looking to change that. We’re just looking at, once it’s built who owns it, maintains it, replaces it?” said Behl.

CWATS began in 2012 and some of the infrastructure may need replacement.

“I know it was a discussion we had in the past that we are putting in all these great trails throughout the communities without a plan on how we are going to replace them in the future,” said LaSalle Mayor Crystal Meloche.

Behl said that one of the benefits of the county assuming ownership is to provide the county with full control over long-term capital planning and replacement timing and that annual levy-supported contributions would be required.

Based on the 2025 CWATS Asset Management Plan, the budget for CWATS last year was $957,400. It jumped to $3.57 million this year and is projected to be $4.75 million in 2027 and under the new plans, over $7 million in 2034.

According to Essex County director of finance/treasurer Melissa Ryan, 2027 will see a deficit of $3 million and currently there is no money in reserves.

“I do hope at some point we can revisit the cost sharing agreement when it comes to the CWATS trails,” said Meloche.

Behl expects a final report to be presented to county council in the next three to four months.

Rising costs expected if Essex County takes over CWATS

By Fred Groves