Niagara Transit Governance Plan
Consultation has concluded
UPDATE: On Dec. 8, 2021, Council voted in favour of an integrated regional transit model, continuing years of effort to establish one public transit system to serve all of Niagara’s 12 municipalities. The vote by Council to consolidate municipal transit systems into one regional entity follows a November vote by Niagara Region Council to begin consolidation efforts.
All of Niagara is considering moving to a single, consolidated transit system for our community.
This new system would bring consistent fares and operating hours throughout Niagara, new payment technology, better connections, and new efficiencies for riders.
Using feedback gathered from the community over the last 10 years, Niagara has created a Financial Model, a Governance Model, and a Service Standards Strategy that paint a possible picture of the future of transit in Niagara.
On November 25th, Regional Council supported moving forward with a consolidated transit system. This winter, all of Niagara’s 12 municipalities will now similarly be voting on whether or not to move forward with this model.
What This Will Do for Our Community
- A consolidated transit model would contribute to the social and economic prosperity of Niagara in many ways. The proposed model builds in flexibility and a region-wide approach that would allow Niagara to:
- Create better access to jobs and services in Niagara, opening up new job options for residents in neighbouring municipalities, and new markets for businesses
- Protect our natural environment by providing residents with more sustainable and environmentally friendly public transit options, reducing traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions
- Prepare Niagara for the future, by making sure our transit options can scale up to meet the needs of our growing population and job market
- Support the expansion and connectivity of GO Transit service to the region
What Happens Next
All of Niagara’s 12 local municipalities will have an opportunity to vote on the proposal from December to January. To move forward with the proposed plan, a majority of Niagara’s municipal councils, representing a majority of Niagara's electors, must vote in favour of the plan.
Read more about the Transit Governance Plan at www.movingtransitforward.ca.
Contact Us
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Phone 905-980-6000 Email scott.fraser@niagararegion.ca
Videos
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With 12 municipalities, all with their own unique transit situations, we want to make sure that the new system meets the needs of residents in smaller municipalities, as well as the larger ones.
The proposed model is built upon a transitional Commission Board with proportional representation from all Niagara municipalities. While the detailed composition of this board is still being determined, all municipalities will have a voice, and representatives could be either Regional or local municipal councillors.
Complementing the Commission Board will be a 20-member Advisory Board made up of Niagara residents, post-secondary institutions, business groups, and others, ensuring those people have a direct say in the future of consolidated transit.
After several years there would be an external review to determine if this model is the right one, and whether any adjustments are needed.
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Significant work has been done in the past few years to make the existing transit systems in Niagara work better together to benefit riders. A fully consolidated transit model is an opportunity to take these efforts even further – combining resources to deliver more and better service, providing easier connections between towns and cities, and effectively integrating with expanded GO Train service.
The Service Standards Strategy examines what the transition to consolidated public transit would look like over the next five years and beyond in three phases (years one and two; year three; and years four, five and beyond).
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ransit in Niagara today is funded by a combination of both Regional and local levies. Niagara’s new Transit Commission Board would be funded from Niagara Region’s budget only, through 12 Regional special levies and not through the Region’s general levy. Tax bills will show a Regional levy tax rate and a Regional Transit tax rate. The core principle of the financial strategy is that residents and transit users only pay for the services that they directly receive.
