2026 Municipal Election Platform
Building a connected region
Demand for transit is growing in Niagara. Public transit ridership rose from 5.6 million in 2022 to 10.9 million in 2024. Transit performance is solid, with costs per ride falling from $8.06 to $5.22 over the same period and 83% on-time performance, above the 79% provincial average.[1] The system is delivering value, but current efficiencies are largely exhausted, and further service improvements will require greater investment. According to the Region’s most recent master plan, our transit service level is 25% below peer average, and only 32% of Niagara’s urban area meets half of the density standard for efficient conventional transit.[2]
Niagara Region manages $12.1 billion in infrastructure assets, and 27.61% of those assets are in poor or very poor condition.[3] Less than half of paved roads are in good condition or better,[4] and only 58% of bridges and culverts meet the same standard – the Municipal Benchmarking Network Canada median is 74.05%, showing Niagara is facing not just routine wear, but a real state-of-good-repair challenge.[5] Poor long-term maintenance also increases short-term pressures: in 2025, the Region patched 43.4km of road and filled over 165,000 potholes.[6]
Infrastructure is not only tied to growth, but to quality of life, trade, housing readiness, and business productivity. It moves people, goods, workers, and investment.
The GNCC asks candidates in the 2026 municipal elections to commit to:
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Adopt and maintain a capital plan that gives priority to state-of-good-repair investments in roads, bridges, water, wastewater, and other core infrastructure, and report annually on asset condition, project delivery, funding gaps, and progress against the municipality’s asset management plan.
Why it Matters
State-of-good-repair investment is the foundation of responsible infrastructure governance. When routine maintenance and rehabilitation are deferred, public assets deteriorate more quickly, emergency repairs become more frequent, and long-term costs escalate. Long-term plans only create value, however, when they guide real decisions. Municipalities should therefore use infrastructure and asset management plans to inform capital budgets, sequencing, and project delivery over time, while reporting regularly on implementation and emerging pressures.
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Update planning, zoning, and street-design policies to support more walkable mixed-use communities, particularly in identified growth corridors, downtowns, and transit-supportive areas.
Why it Matters
Walkable urban form is a practical tool for improving mobility, strengthening local commerce, lessening environmental impact, and reducing pressure on transportation infrastructure. Communities that support more short trips by foot are often more resilient, more attractive to residents and visitors, and less dependent on costly transportation expansion to meet every incremental demand. Emphasizing walkability can therefore advance both livability and fiscal prudence.
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Support infrastructure that improves trade and goods movement, especially connections to employment lands, industrial areas, and border-related corridors.
Why it Matters
Niagara occupies a strategically important position in cross-border trade and logistics. As such, infrastructure decisions affecting goods movement have implications well beyond local traffic management; they shape the competitiveness of manufacturers, exporters, logistics operators, and industrial employers across the region. Protecting and improving these connections is essential if Niagara is to fully leverage its geographic and economic advantages.
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Establish clear internal timelines and coordination protocols for infrastructure approvals and report annually on project delays, causes, and corrective actions.
Why it Matters
Infrastructure delivery is often slowed not only by funding constraints, but by procedural fragmentation and administrative delay. More coordinated approvals and clearer intergovernmental processes can shorten timelines, reduce project costs, and improve the ability of municipalities to deliver priority infrastructure when it is needed. Streamlining in this area is therefore a matter of both fiscal responsibility and implementation capacity.
[1] Niagara Transit General Manager’s 2024 report, https://nrtransit.ca/about-niagara-transit/general-managers-2024-annual-report/
[2] Niagara Region Transportation Master Plan Needs and Opportunities Report, https://www.niagararegion.ca/2041/pdf/tmp-needs-report.pdf
[3] Niagara Region 2025 Corporate Asset Management Plan, https://www.niagararegion.ca/projects/asset-management/pdf/2025-corporate-asset-management-plan.pdf
[4] Niagara Region Community Dashboard, https://www.niagararegion.ca/community_dashboard/indicator.aspx?q=58
[5] Niagara Region Community Dashboard, https://www.niagararegion.ca/community_dashboard/indicator.aspx?q=59
[6] Niagara Region Community Dashboard, https://www.niagararegion.ca/community_dashboard/category.aspx?q=Livability
2026 Election Platform:
