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Transit Upgrades for Thunder Bay

March 15th, 2024

Investment of almost 19.5 million to Thunder Bay’s Public transportation Infrastructure

Exciting transformations are on the horizon for Thunder Bay’s public transportation infrastructure, fueled by a combined investment of almost $19.5 million from the federal government, the provincial government, and the City of Thunder Bay.

This was announced by the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Rainy River, Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, Kevin Holland, Member of Provincial Parliament for Thunder Bay—Atikokan, and His Worship Ken Boshcoff, Mayor of the City of Thunder Bay.

The City will replace two gas-powered transit pick-up trucks, used for patrolling and supervising transit services, with fully electric zero-emission models, supported by two charging stations at the Transit Building on Fort William Road. The new trucks will save on fuel and maintenance costs.

Real-time route and traffic management software for accurate, on-demand arrival times and fleet tracking will be purchased to provide the community with a more reliable and efficient transit service.

To make transit more accessible to a wider range of users, the City will also construct almost 13  kilometres of new sidewalks, multi-use trails, and trail extensions, including bridge river crossings. These pathways will align with Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) accessibility standards. The accessibility deficiencies at several bus stops, including bus shelters, will also be addressed.

To extend the useful life of the fleet transit garage, a section of the roof, the diesel exhaust system, the lubrication lift, and the approach aprons will be replaced. This will reduce operating costs and make bus maintenance more efficient. To improve operational efficiency and safety,  a secondary exit will be added to the High Street maintenance facility.

And, to make driving more ergonomic and safer for bus drivers, the City will replace driver’s seats in numerous buses. They will also fit new transmissions and engines into select buses to improve the efficiency and extend the useful life of Thunder Bay’s existing transit vehicles.

Quotes

“For people to thrive, communities must ensure everyone can access transportation and be able to connect with one another. Congratulations to the City of Thunder Bay on their work and vision in transforming their transit fleet. When all levels of government work together, communities grow stronger. With this joint investment, the City will be better able to provide safe and convenient access to public transportation, connecting us to each other.”

The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario, on behalf of the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities

“Public transit is more than just a means of getting around. By making transit accessible, affordable, and reliable, we’re not only connecting people to opportunities but also creating inclusive, sustainable, and vibrant places to live and work.”

Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay—Rainy River

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, the Ontario government is getting people to where they need to go with historic investments in public transit. In Thunder Bay, we’re investing nearly $6.5 million to help ensure transit service is efficient, safe, reliable and more accessible to a wider range of users in the community.”

Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation

“There’s never been a better time to take transit in Thunder Bay. Today’s funding announcement will improve access to transit and refurbish the city’s bus fleet and transit garage. These investments demonstrate that the Ontario government is committed to funding world-class transit infrastructure across the province, including right here in Thunder Bay.”

Kevin Holland, Member of Provincial Parliament, Thunder Bay-Atikokan

“This investment in transit helps people across Thunder Bay get to where they need to be on a daily basis. It helps modernize our fleet, and will make transit the most sustainable mode of transportation it can be.”

His Worship Ken Boshcoff, Mayor of Thunder Bay

Quick Facts

  • The federal government is investing $8,402,140 through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Government of Ontario is contributing $6,489,860 and the City of Thunder Bay is contributing $4,579,526.
  • The PTIS stream supports the building, expansion, and upgrading of urban and rural transit networks.
  • Including today’s announcement, over 260 infrastructure projects or project bundles under the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream have been announced in Ontario, with a total federal contribution of nearly $5.5 billion.  
  • The federal government is investing $14.9 billion over the next eight years in reliable, fast, affordable, and clean public transit. This funding includes $3 billion per year in predictable federal public transit funding which will be available to support transit in Canada beginning in 2026-27.
  • The Ontario government is investing historic amounts in municipalities to expand public transit, including $7.3 billion in provincial funding through the federal Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program to fund the construction, expansion and improvement of public transit networks.
  • Since 2015, the federal government has announced an unprecedented investment of over $30 billion in thousands of transit projects in communities across the country.
    • Under the Investing in Canada Plan, the federal government is investing more than $180 billion over 12 years in public transit projects, green infrastructure, social infrastructure, trade and transportation routes, and Canada’s rural and northern communities.
    • Infrastructure Canada helps address complex challenges that Canadians face every day—ranging from the rapid growth of our cities, to climate change, to environmental threats to our water and land.