York Region will use $15M from provincial gas tax to improve transit

YorkRegion.com
Jan. 10, 2017
Lisa Queen

At the pump of a Newmarket gas station, Dina Derocchis is skeptical her gas taxes are doing much to get people out of their cars and on to public transit in York Region.

While public transit in the region is “a mess,” the Newmarket resident doubts most drivers are willing to give up their vehicles to ride the bus.

“I can see Toronto needing it more. Up here, I think most people drive. You kind of need a car up here,” said Derocchis, who isn’t opposed to contributing to the provincial government’s new cap-and-trade program, which increased gas prices by 4.3 cents a litre, as long as it is used specifically to improve the environment. 

“It (getting drivers to choose public transit) is not going to happen. No, I don’t think so. It won’t happen to me. No, no, no, no.”

Derocchis’s comments came the same day Queen’s Park announced Jan. 10 that York Region’s public transit system is getting a $15.3 million boost this year from the provincial gas tax.

Better transit is not only a convenience for riders but helps improve the region’s economy, Newmarket-Aurora MPP Chris Ballard said at a press conference at the Newmarket Transit Garage on Yonge Street south of Green Lane in East Gwillimbury.

Municipalities across Ontario have received $3.8 billion in gas tax funding since 2004, including $334 million this year.

“York Region and York Region Transit will be able to use this funding to make critical improvements to our local transit network,” Ballard said.

“In the past, municipalities have used gas tax funding to upgrade transit infrastructure, increase accessibility, purchase transit vehicles, add more routes and extend hours of service.”

Although the region’s transit improvement to-do list is long and the gas tax funding represents less than 1 per cent of this year’s $197,221 million transit operating budget, regional chair Wayne Emmerson stressed the funding is not drop in the bucket.

“We appreciate every dollar we get from the province and the feds and we need more for us to enhance our transit system,” he said.

The funding will cover some of the costs of operating the YRT Viva Transit system, which is expanding. Currently, the system provides about 140 transit routes served by 396 conventional buses and 123 Viva rapid transit buses, Emmerson said.

The region is also phasing in new services such as dial-a-ride in rural areas and more frequent bus service, adopting new fare incentives, modernizing facilities and introducing technological advancements, he added. 

Newmarket Mayor Tony Van Bynen and East Gwillimbury Mayor Virginia Hackson praised the gas tax funding.

The money will help enhance and expand transit, reduce congestion, shorten commute times and help commuters reach their destinations quicker, Van Bynen said.

Better transit is needed to accommodate growth, Hackson said.

The region’s population of 1.1 million will increase to 1.8 million by 2041, while East Gwillimbury will grow by 125,000 by 2051. 

“The more options our residents have to leave their car at home, the better it is for our communities and the environment,” Hackson said.