August 29, 2012

Ottawa, Ontario to fund transport infrastructure in Niagara Falls

The Niagara Falls Visitor Transportation System was launched this week and the project will entail new infrastructure including construction of a storage and maintenance facility for new buses.

The new service, dubbed “WEGO,” is designed to expand on the existing Peoplemover system run by the Niagara Parks Commission, according to a joint press release Thursday. It is separate from the city's Niagara Transit and from the Niagara Region Transit, which covers all 12 municipalities in the regions, including St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Welland.

"The in-service launch of the buses is the first step towards the completion of the WEGO system," according to the joint press release issued by Transport Canada, the City of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Parks Commission, which is an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. "When the system is completed in 2014, 27 fully accessible buses with intelligent transportation and fare collection systems will be in service; eight existing Niagara Parks Peoplemover stations will be upgraded; new pick-up and drop-off points will be established; a storage and maintenance facility for the new buses will be constructed; and infrastructure improvements will be made along the Niagara River Parkway and Victoria Avenue."

The total $50-million cost will be shared by the federal and provincial governments.

The WEGO service is intended to provide transportation to tourists and to allow for easier connections with existing public transportation services, including the federal VIA Rail and the Ontario government's GO Transit. It will have two lines managed by the city and a third line managed by the parks commission.

DCN DIGITAL MEDIA

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