Federal and provincial funding will help advance 10 transit projects in Stratford, Ontario that will invest in new vehicles, technology and infrastructure.
More than C$4 million (US$2.98 million) will fund five new conventional buses and two mobility buses to replace aging vehicles and the purchase of an additional bus to meet the city’s growing demand for public transit. Another project will see the transit fare box system updated to enable Stratford Transit to better capture data about ridership and revenue which will be used to improve service delivery.
“Investing in modern and accessible public transit systems is essential to building healthy communities. Many Stratford residents rely on public transit to access local services and get around the region each day and these investments will improve the accessibility and reliability of bus services. We are working with our partners to build better public transit that contributes to cleaner, healthier and more livable communities for our children and grandchildren,” said Canada Minister of Infrastructure and Communities Catherine McKenna.
In addition to the new vehicles, the bus routes will also see improvements with the installation of eight new accessible shelters. Stratford’s transit fleet will be equipped with an automated voice and signage system on buses that will notify passengers when each stop is approaching. Transit users will also be able to track their bus locations using a real-time arrival smartphone application.
Stratford also plans to pilot the design of new bus routes using an application-based, “on-demand” software to improve access to transit and encourage Sunday ridership. On Sundays, transit users will be able to request pick-up and drop-off locations at selected stops by using a smart phone app or by accessing the internet from their phone or a computer.
“This is a meaningful investment in our community that will not only help to modernize our transit fleet but also improve the overall transit service for all riders in Stratford. New buses, additional shelters and an innovative on-demand pilot project will make it more accessible, more comfortable and more convenient to use public transportation in our city,” said Stratford Mayor Dan Mathieson.
Funding for the project is broken out between the C$1.6 million (US$1.19 million) the government of Canada is investing through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream, Ontario is contributing approximately C$1.4 million (US$1.04 million) and the city is contributing more than C$1 million (US$740,000).
