WINDSOR, ON - Activate Transit Windsor Essex, a grassroots advocacy group advocating for a more accessible and sustainable transportation system in Windsor and Essex County, is slamming the newly tabled 2025 Operating Budget after identifying over $4M in revenue increases and service eliminations within the proposal, including a confidential, service reduction totaling $1.4 M.

 

“The budget labels a $1.4M ‘service reduction’, and the truth is we don’t know what this is. What we do know is that Windsorites deserve far more transparent communication than this - if a service elimination is being discussed, transit riders deserve to be told without needless obfuscation”, says Joshua Sankarlal, ATWE Steering Committee member.

 

The tabled budget sees an additional $2M in fare collections. The budget also includes an increased service plan with multiple route and frequency enhancements, however, the budget detail emphasises that the improvements are only being made due to the elimination of school bus extras, bringing the net cost to $0.

 

ATWE says it welcomes improvements to the transit service, however, a $0 net investment is indicative of Windsor’s apathetic approach to service delivery. The advocacy group affirms that transit is a public service, and placing additional financial burden onto riders while contributing no new funding is antithetical to public service delivery.

 

“Council’s own reporting tells us that folks are more dependent on transit than ever before,” adds Nate Hope, organizing member of ATWE, “What the proposed budget shows us is that Council doesn’t care to properly invest in these citizens or the service, opting instead to further increase fares and provide no substantial funding of their own. We cannot address the needs of riders if the most the City is willing to invest is $0, while also proposing undisclosed cuts to the tune of $1.4M”

 

The group says that while Council refers to the $4M as ‘efficiencies’ or ‘increased revenue’ no tangible improvements have been proposed as a result of said efficiencies. Furthermore, the lack of a net investment signals Windsor's unwillingness to honor the fiscal commitments made following the approval of the 2019 Transit Master Plan.