The City of Windsor has received approval for over $28.2 million in federal funding to help upgrade Transit Windsor.
Windsor-Tecumseh Liberal MP Irek Kusmierczyk announced the investment Friday from the new Canada Public Transit Fund.
The funding would begin in 2026, providing the city with $2.8 million until 2036 to help upgrade, replace, and modernize Transit Windsor and the city's public transit infrastructure.
But there is a catch: to access the funds, the city will have to agree to basic zoning changes to permit increased, high-density apartments to be built near transit stations and post-secondary institutions.
The next step in the process is for the city to submit a capital plan application to Housing and Infrastructure Canada and finalize a contribution agreement.
Kusmierczyk says they know there is a housing crisis in Canada, including 9,000 people on the local housing wait list.
"So there are housing conditions attached to that, because again, strong, thriving, vibrant cities need strong public transit, but they also need affordable housing that working families, seniors, and young people can afford," he says.
The Canada Public Transit Fund (CPTF) is the largest public transit investment in Canadian history, providing an average of $3 billion in funding annually.