The province of Ontario added a new intercommunity transit service to its regional transportation list with the start of operations of LTW Transit’s Route 42, which will connect Leamington to Windsor (St. Clair College) and includes stops in Kingsville and Essex six days a week.
“Leamington is very proud to deliver a program that provides safe and reliable public transportation, while strengthening ties between communities and providing better access to employment, education, healthcare and social services,” said Leamington Mayor Hilda MacDonald.
Mayor MacDonald boarded the bus in Leamington for its inaugural run and picked up Kingsville Mayor Nelson Santos and Essex Mayor Larry Snively at their respective LTW Transit stops. They continued along Route 42 and met up with Windsor’s Mayor Drew Dilkens at the LTW Transit stop at St. Clair College.
“As leaders, we all have a responsibility to make our region as accessible as possible for the residents of all ages,” said Mayor Dilkens. “This community to community public transit connection is an important move in that direction.”
LTW Transit is a four-year pilot project undertaken by the Municipality of Leamington in partnership with Transit Windsor. It was one of several transit programs to be awarded financial support from the provincial Ministry of Transportation with a grant from the Ontario Community Transportation Grant Program. The province says the community transportation grant program makes life easier for people living in areas with few public transportation options.
The new Route 42 service will provide three daily round trips Monday through Friday and two round trips on Saturdays. Transit stakeholders note that strong transit ridership and a successful outcome at the end of the LTW Transit pilot project could lead to the permanent continuation of regional transit and the potential expansion of the service.
"I'm confident that county-based students will be thrilled with this new transportation option," said St. Clair President Patti France. "For many, it will eliminate the expense of buying a car, for others it will solve the scheduling difficulties associated with borrowing a family car. At the most fundamental level – a method of getting from point A to point B – it makes access to postsecondary education so much more convenient and affordable. The college commends all of the county and city agencies which have launched this initiative."
Mischa Wanek-Libman | Group Editorial Director
Mischa Wanek-Libman is director of communications with Transdev North America. She has more than 20 years of experience working in the transportation industry covering construction projects, engineering challenges, transit and rail operations and best practices.
Wanek-Libman has held top editorial positions at freight rail and public transportation business-to-business publications including as editor-in-chief and editorial director of Mass Transit from 2018-2024. She has been recognized for editorial excellence through her individual work, as well as for collaborative content.
She is an active member of the American Public Transportation Association's Marketing and Communications Committee and served 14 years as a Board Observer on the National Railroad Construction and Maintenance Association (NRC) Board of Directors.
She is a graduate of Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Mass Communication.
