Windsor is moving ahead with funding to improve active transportation in the city.
On Tuesday, city council approved the first application of projects worth $47.7-million.
Mayor Drew Dilkens says the city's share for the first intake is $22.9 million and says says city staff will now apply for federal funding worth $13.5-million, as well as $11.3-million in provincial funding.
As heard on AM800 news in April, Windsor is getting $145-million over the next 10-years under the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.
"This is a great first start and there's no doubt as long as it keeps moving forward as it's planned, we'll be very excited to get more projects done," says Dilkens.
He says the projects must be done by 2027.
"In order to unroll that much infrastructure work, you can imagine our capital budget in any given year is about $100-million so being thrown $144-million really helps expedite some of the work that we can do," says Dilkens. "Obviously we want to pick projects that are further along in the process where there's engineering done, where there might already be money set aside to offset our cost share."
He also says this is the first step but there are many more projects the city will bring forward over time.
"There are a number of projects, this is just the first traunch of $47-million that you'll see happen but over the next decade or so they'll be $150-million worth of projects."
The infrastructure program focuses on Transit Windsor fleet replacements, cycling and sidewalk expansions, pedestrian crossings and the city's active transportation master plan.