Tecumseh's deputy mayor is wondering if transit services can be extended within the Town.
Joe Bachetti will be presenting a notice of motion to council this evening asking for support to have administration look into the feasibility of extending transit services down Lesperance Road to County Road 42.
Currently the bus stops at Lesperance and Arbour Street, but Bachetti wants to extend it into ward 4 and ward 5 into the Tecumseh Hamlet area.
In his notice of motion, Bachetti states that due to the growth in the area with St. Peter Catholic Elementary School, Tecumseh Vista Academy, McAulliffe Park, and Extendicare, that extending this service could be beneficial to many.
He says ridership has picked up in the Town.
"At this point now I feel due to the tremendous growth, the traffic issues that we're going to be seeing in the Tecumseh Hamlet area that it's time that perhaps we look at a feasibility study, in terms of extending the public transit route to include ward 4 and 5, which is south of the E.C. Row Expressway."
Bachetti says the Tecumseh Hamlet area is a heavily residential area with many components.
"A major active park there, McAulliffe Park, we have a long-term care facility, Extendicare, and two schools that are in that area. And so when we look at the future, and look at the growth in this area, it would be prudent on us to at least explore what it's going to take to be able to extend the public transit into that area."
He says providing transit is a great option to reducing the carbon footprint.
"When you do provide a service people realize that it's reliable, and they will take it. At the beginning when we started our transit system back in 2009, it took time for the residents to understand the routes, and every year the Town takes a look at it, you know, there's recommendations that involve removal or modifications of various bus stops."
Bachetti adds that if the notice of motion is approved by council that he's hoping for the report to come back prior to next year's budget talks.
Tecumseh council meets at 7 p.m.