The local Ajax News Advertiser paper ran a short story on Sunday indicating that the first $17 Million of the provincial BRT funding should be available within the next few weeks, allowing Durham Region to place an order for 26 hybrid buses for BRT service. Unfortunately, this article does not appear to be available online.
It’s refreshing to see the province act quickly on budget commitments for transit projects. Projects with federal involvement have been delayed in recent years as the federal government has been slow to release the promised funds. Given the number of projects that will begin construction in the next few years as MoveOntario 2020 gets up to speed, and as the Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan is created, it’s essential that funding be quickly provided.
At the same time, Durham Region needs to quickly plan out a strategy for public involvement during the design and construction process. Not only it is critical to get feedback from potential riders on stop locations and designs, and on bus designs, but it’s essential to show local transit riders that improvement is coming.
Filed under: BRT Implementation, Metrolinx
