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Niagara Falls
Tuesday, November 12, 2024
Region seeks feedback on massive consolidated transit plan

GO Transit and the Region of Niagara want resident feedback on the proposed consolidation of transit across the region.

Residents can access a survey on movingtransitforward.ca. It is open until Oct. 3.

The new transit system would see hours of operation standardized across the entire region and make travel between municipalities more seamless, director of GO implementation services Matt Robinson told Niagara-on-the-Lake council in July.

The plan was originally resisted by NOTL councillors because an assessment-based model of payment was proposed. This would result in NOTL paying more than its fair share as it does for police services.

But in July, Robinson presented an updated plan to council which said the town would pay based on hours of service and usage within the municipality. He estimated the town would be paying $2.7 million per year by 2025.

The town currently pays about $1.8 million for its transit, according to GO’s presentation to council in July.

A triple-majority vote to move forward with the plan will be coming at some point during the fall.

In order for the plan to pass, the region will have to vote in favour and a majority of the municipalities that also contain a majority of the region’s population must support it as well, according to a news release from the region.

If the vote passes, a 15-person commission will be formed with representatives from all the municipalities. A 20-member advisory board made up of Niagara residents, post-secondary institutions, business groups and others will also be created to guide the project through.

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