Pelham receives over $200K in provincial transportation funding

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 2021

Pelham, ON – The Town of Pelham has received $210,199 in transit funding for 2023-2025. The funding is part of the Province's Community Transportation Grant Program. Pelham is the only municipality in Niagara to receive an allocation in the latest round of funding.

In total, Pelham has received over $860,000 as part of the program, most notably, a five-year grant for $500K that concludes in 2023. The grant funding offsets costs to the municipality that otherwise would have been funded through an increase in the tax levy for Pelham transit.

"This is great news," said Vickie vanRavenswaay, director of recreation, culture, and wellness. “It’s important to provide transit to all, and with the province’s support over the years, Pelham has been able to provide these services; without it, it’s unlikely that would have been the case.”

The additional funding assists transportation services in 38 communities across the province, providing extra time to fully establish transportation services as they recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and build transportation services up to a sustainable level occurs. In addition, this funding positions municipalities to continue operating after the program has concluded.

The announcement signifies extended support for transportation services, including bus service, on-demand shared rides and door-to-door transportation services supported by the program for two additional years.

Pelham currently operates within the Niagara Region's NRT OnDemand Services, which uses smartphone technology and a fleet of dedicated vehicles to provide trips within the service boundaries with no fixed schedules or routes.

NRT OnDemand doesn't operate on a fixed route like conventional transit services. Instead, it lets riders request trips in real-time through the app or phone, selecting a pickup point and destination.

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For media inquiries, please contact:

Marc MacDonald
Communications and Public Relations Specialist
905-892-2607 x309
mmacdonald@pelham.ca