A new Transit Windsor route from east Windsor to St. Clair College has been resurrected.
City staff axed Route 18 from Windsor's Transit Master Plan due to low ridership numbers.
Route 18 has a price tag of $537,000 for the full year. The route would reduce travel times between Tecumseh Mall and St. Clair College from two hours to 30 minutes.
Ward 3 Councillor Rino Bortolin proposed the city fund the route in the fall at a cost of $180,000 to show it would work.
But St. Clair College's John Fairley says President Patti France had already sweetened the deal by offering the city $90,000 to get the project started.
"Our SRC, which is our student government, also sent a letter to all the councillors and the mayor on Friday saying it's important for student life," says Fairley.
He says the bus will use EC Row Expressway with a stop at Devonshire Mall.
"The route will be close to 20 or 30 minutes compared to an hour and half to two hours based on multiple stops with people coming and going," he says. "This is something we as a college had to embrace."
Fairley admits it's a huge boost for students, but it's also a benefit for anyone who wants to get to the mall in a timely fashion.
"It's not all about St. Clair College. There are other people along Route 18 that will benefit, obviously, we're just the end stop," he added.
Council also passed Transit Windsor's operating budget with a 4.88 per cent increase during deliberations as well Monday.
The route will start in the fall of 2021.