Staff
The Municipality of Meaford is among 99 cities and towns across Ontario that will receive gas tax funding from the provincial government that can be used to enhance and expand their transit systems, to reduce congestion, shorten commute times, and help people get to where they’re going faster.
Steven Del Duca, Minister of Transportation, was joined by MPPs Harinder Malhi and Vic Dhillon in Brampton this week to announce this year’s gas tax funding for municipalities.
Ontario’s gas tax program provides municipalities with two cents per litre of provincial gas tax revenues. The program was made permanent in 2013, to provide a stable source of funding for municipalities. This year, the province is providing $334.5 million through the gas tax program to expand and improve public transit — an increase of $1.6 million over last year. For 2016/17, 99 municipalities will receive funding, the most since the program started in 2004.
Meaford’s 2016/2017 gas tax funding from the province will be $74,195.
In 2015, there was an increase of more than 217 million trips on municipal transit systems, compared to 2003 — equivalent to removing approximately 181 million car trips on roads.
Ontario’s population is expected to grow by approximately 40 per cent by 2041, making it even more important to build modern and efficient infrastructure. Research shows that every $100 million of public infrastructure investment in Ontario boosts GDP by $114 million, particularly in the construction and manufacturing sectors.
“Improving and expanding public transit also helps reduce air pollution and meet the province’s greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. One bus takes up to 40 vehicles off the road, and keeps 25 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions out of the atmosphere each year,” said the Province. “Supporting stronger public transit systems is part of our plan to create jobs, grow our economy, and help people in their everyday lives.”
