Government of Canada and Town of Tecumseh invest in public transit and active transportation

TECUMSEH, ON, May 24, 2023 /CNW/ - Today, Irek Kusmierczyk, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and Member of Parliament of Windsor—Tecumseh, and His Worship Gary McNamara, Mayor of the Town of Tecumseh, announced a federal investment of more than $3.6 million to electrify a portion of Tecumseh's bus fleet and expand its active transportation network.

Through this investment, the Town of Tecumseh will replace two diesel buses with accessible electric buses and install a new charging station. As part of Tecumseh's Monday-Friday fixed route/Saturday on-demand service, these new buses will ensure that residents continue to have access to affordable and convenient transit options while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The service will be offered starting June 1 within Tecumseh, with connections to the City of Windsor's transit system and a commercial district in Lakeshore.

This investment will also enable the construction of almost 2.5 kilometres of multi-use pathway along Lesperance Road, from Riverside Drive to First Street, and on Little River Boulevard from Lesperance Road to the entrance of Windsor's trail system on Gauthier Street.

This investment will improve access to a network of nearly 30 kilometres of active transportation pathways within the Town and neighbouring communities. It will make it easier for people to get to shops, community centres, the over 200 acres of greenspace in 37 parks throughout the town, and neighbouring communities of Windsor and Lakeshore.

By investing in infrastructure, the Government of Canada is growing our country's economy, building resilient communities, and improving the lives of Canadians.

Quotes

"Building stronger, healthier communities takes vision, hard work, and partnership. I am proud to have worked collaboratively with Mayor McNamara and Council to deliver the largest federal investment in transit and active transportation in the history of the Town of Tecumseh. By contributing to the purchase of electric busses and increasing access to dedicated walking and cycling paths, the Government of Canada is ensuring residents in Tecumseh have access to high-quality, sustainable active transportation options for years to come."

Irek Kusmierczyk, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion and Member of Parliament for Windsor—Tecumseh, on behalf of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities

"By expanding our active transportation routes and adding in zero-emission public transit solutions, we can help improve community connection and contribute to a cleaner and greener Tecumseh. We'd like to extend our sincere appreciation to The Government of Canada for funding these projects through the Rural Transit Solutions Fund (RTSF) and the Active Transportation Fund (ATF). Investing in local infrastructure is key to promoting healthy lifestyle choices and is an investment in the well-being of our community."

His Worship Gary McNamara, Mayor of the Town of Tecumseh

Quick facts

• The Government of Canada is investing $3,696,000 in this project through the Rural Transit Solutions Fund (RTSF) and the Active Transportation Fund (ATF), and the Town of Tecumseh is contributing $2,014,000.
• Federal funding is contingent upon the completion of a contribution agreement.
• The RTSF aims to make it easier Canadians living in rural and remote areas get around their communities. It supports the development of rural transit solutions, including new transit service models that could be replicated or scaled up.
• A minimum of 10% of the total Rural Transit Solution Fund's $250-million funding envelope will be allocated to projects that benefit Indigenous populations and communities.
• As of January 20, 2023, applications to the Rural Transit Solutions Fund – Capital Projects stream are being accepted on a continuous basis. This stream helps cover capital costs like the purchase of vehicles or digital platforms, as well as support for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles.
• Through the Capital Projects stream, eligible applicants can seek contributions of up to $3 million to help cover the capital costs of a new or expanded transit solution (e.g., purchase of vehicles or digital platforms), and up to $5 million to support zero-emission transit solutions (e.g., for the purchase of a zero-emission vehicle(s)).
• Active transportation refers to the movement of people or goods powered by human activity, and includes walking, cycling and the use of human-powered or hybrid mobility aids such as wheelchairs, scooters, e-bikes, rollerblades, snowshoes, cross-country skis, and more.
• The Active Transportation Fund will provide $400 million over five years to make travel by active transportation easier, safer, more convenient and more enjoyable, in support of Canada's National Active Transportation Strategy.
• Municipal governments, local and regional governments such as service districts, and Indigenous organizations are eligible recipients under the Active Transportation Fund. Provinces, territories, and not-for-profit organizations are also eligible in specific circumstances. While the first general application intake concluded on March 31, 2022, applications for planning and capital projects from eligible Indigenous recipients are accepted on an ongoing basis.
• The Rural Transit Solutions Fund and Active Transportation Fund complement Canada's strengthened climate plan: A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy. The plan commits the federal government to providing permanent federal funding for public transit in support of making clean and affordable transportation available in every community.

Associated Links

Rural Transit Solutions Fund 
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/rural-trans-rural/index-eng.html 

Active Transportation Fund 
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/trans/index-eng.html 

National Active Transportation Strategy 
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/trans/active-strat-actif-eng.html 

Strengthened Climate Plan 
https://www.canada.ca/en/services/environment/weather/climatechange/climate-plan/climate-plan-overview.html 

Federal infrastructure investments in Ontario 
https://www.infrastructure.gc.ca/plan/prog-proj-on-eng.html

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Web: Infrastructure Canada

SOURCE Infrastructure Canada

Contacts: For more information (media only), please contact: Jean-Sébastien Comeau, Press Secretary and Senior Communications Advisor, Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, Minister of Intergovernmental Affairs, Infrastructure and Communities, 343-574-8116, [email protected]; Media Relations, Infrastructure Canada, 613-960-9251, Toll free: 1-877-250-7154, Email: [email protected]; Mackenzie Vandenberg, Communications Officer, Town of Tecumseh, 226-350-3665, [email protected]