![Transit Pilot Saved From Budget Chopping Block](https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/3041/files/2023/01/council-jan-12.jpg)
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A transit pilot project for 125 people who would qualify to participate will not be deferred until 2024.
This comes as part of discussions on what and where to cut items from the 2023 budget for the city.
Part of the push to save the pilot came from Current River’s Andrew Foulds who referenced how supporting projects like that have long term positive effects on other budget elements, such as police costs which continue to rise.
“Even in the police documents they talk about the investment upstream is worth its weight in gold,” said Foulds in an impassioned speech. “We either want to continue to add police officers year after year after year or we need to start thinking about it right…and this is one of the ways. The reason why we do a pilot project, is because we want to get it right. We want to understand the magnitude of this program and how it can help people.”
Elsewhere on the transit file however, council did support the elimination of service to Chippewa Park as well as removing holiday and statutory holiday service on low ridership routes.