The answer is no from the Environment, Transportation & Public Safety Standing Committee.
The committee shot down a request from Transit Windsor to re-locate the west end bus terminal from College Ave to Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare on Prince Rd.
Transit officials told the committee the hospital is the right spot for the terminal and feel it will better transit services for the area and city.
However, not all members of the committee agreed.
Ward 2 councillor Fabio Costante says he's against the relocation.
He made a motion that calls for the relocation to be part of transit's Service Review.
His motion also asked administration provide a report, outlining the costs to build a permanent structure for transit staff at the College Ave site.
Costante says accessibility in Sandwich Town is one of the reasons why he's against the move.
"We got a high percentage of transit riders that live in Sandwich, that walk to the transit terminal and again the congestion on Prince Rd, in and around Hotel -Dieu Grace Healthcare is already an issue," says Costante. "Parking in that neighbourhood is already an issue. The last thing residents want in that area is 100 buses in and out."
Ward 1 councillor Fred Francis voted against the motion and says the move makes sense for Transit Windsor.
"I certainly understand where councillor Costante is coming from," says Francis. "He certainly has to serve his residents and I appreciate that fact and I respect it but I had to vote what I thought was best for Transit Windsor and the service as a whole."
"I believe it's a service enhancement to Transit Windsor," says Francis. "I believe it's a significant investment in the west end that improves service in Transit Windsor."
Photo courtesy of Google Maps
Past Chair of the Sandwich Improvement Area Mary Ann Cuderman says she'll now push city council to reject transit's plan.
"It takes the ball out of the one court and puts it more evenly distributed and hope that we can carry on and get a final decision on this," says Cuderman. "I think it's the right decision."
Cuderman adds transit is more worried about the dollars and cents instead of servicing vulnerable people.
"They don't give a darn about who really uses their transit system," says Cuderman. "They don't give a darn about that and not servicing the vulnerable. There not thinking about that at all."
Francis says councillors should be listening to the professionals at Transit Windsor.
"When I hear from the Executive Director from Transit Windsor that making that move is a significant enhancement to the service and it improves the service and the ridership to our customers that's something I can't over look."
The issue now goes to city council for final approval.
Hotel-Dieu Grace is offering the property on the northeast corner for $1 per year.
The cost to move the terminal from College Ave to Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare is between $1.5-million and $1.6-million.
Transit Windsor was originally given notice to vacate the College Ave site in late 2014 by the Windsor-Essex County Health Centre's Sandwich Community Health Centre, but transit officials told the committee that is no longer the case.
There are four bus routes that operate out of the College Ave site.
The west end terminal has been on College Ave since 1998.
Prior to that, it was located on Mill St.