Eight public transit and active transportation projects in Kingston will share in $47 million in combined funding from the federal, provincial and municipal governments.

Various elected officials, including federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna and her provincial counterpart Laurie Scott, were on hand to make the announcement on August 10.

"This is an exciting day for transit riders and residents in Kingston,” said Scott. “Ontario is investing more than $14 million in eight new public transit projects. These projects will provide residents with more access to public transit, connecting people to jobs safely and efficiently. With today’s announcement, these eight projects can move from shovel-ready to shovels moving."

Several projects involve the construction of new and enhanced pedestrian and cycling infrastructure in the East-West corridor of the city that will make it safer and easier for residents to commute to their destinations or to directly access public transit.

For example, the redesign and construction of Montreal Street at John Counter Boulevard will include multi-use pathways, a new sidewalk and buffered bike lanes. Four transit-exclusive passenger drop-off lanes will enable pedestrians to access the transit system more safely and efficiently. That project is valued at just under $10 million.

Also included in the construction program is work on the East-West Corridor Project that will see $10.2 million invested in the construction of a new designated bike lane, a multi-use path, and a new sidewalk. A further $10.6 million is being spent on construction of various trails, sidewalks and pedestrian crossovers to Kingston Transit bus stops.

The city will also design and build 12 transit passenger stations at bus stops at a cost of $3.9 million, and rebuild the intersection at King St. West and Portsmouth Avenue to include a dedicated bus lane and relocated bus stops.

The funding also includes more than $10 million in spending on public transit, including the purchase of a new long-range battery electric bus and charging equipment, the addition of six conventional buses to the city’s fleet, and the installation of various transit priority equipment and traffic control upgrades.

"Kingston has made strategic investments in active transportation and has seen unprecedented growth in transit ridership over the last few years,” said Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson. “COVID-19 has definitely impacted our recent progress but as people start to return to some of their pre-pandemic routines, I believe there are even more opportunities to accelerate our active transportation goals. This funding will be very helpful as we get back on track and work to build a community where the most convenient option is active transportation."

The Government of Canada is investing over $17 million in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada infrastructure plan. The Government of Ontario is providing nearly $14.5 million to the projects, while the City of Kingston is contributing more than $16 million.