Gas tax to help improve transit system in Thunder Bay, Ont., says province

The City of Thunder Bay can put $2 million toward things like additional buses, more transit routes or an overall improvement in the city's transportation system, according to provincial officials.

On Wednesday, Thunder Bay-area MPPs Bill Mauro and Michael Gravelle announced the city's share of this year's gas tax funding. The money is to be earmarked for the enhancement and expansion of the current transit system.

"Today's gas tax fundingannouncementis about improving existingtransit infrastructure and adding newinfrastructurelike buses and extending hours of operation," Mauro was quoted as saying in a written statement on Wednesday.

According to Wednesday's announcement, the funding should help reduce congestion, shorten commute times while supporting upgrades to major transit projects.

"For every litre of gasoline sold, Ontario currently provides two cents tomunicipalitiesto help fund local public transitimprovements," Maurosaid.

Since the gas tax funding program started in 2004, Mauro said Ontario has committed more than $3.7 billion to municipalities in Ontario, and of that, $25 million has been givento Thunder Bay.

The province has already announced a planned increase in how much municipalities will receive in gas tax revenue; the government has promised that funding will increase from twocents per litre to up to four cents per litre in 2021-22.

That would raise the city's yearly funding from $2 million to $4 million, Mauro said.