The City of St. Thomas is inviting residents to share their feedback on the future of local public transportation through a series of public drop-in events held between April 9 and April 11, 2026. These sessions are part of the Railway City Transit Plan for Growth, an initiative designed to modernize and expand the city’s bus network to better support the community as it prepares for significant population growth.
The city has partnered with Dillon Consulting to develop this long-term roadmap. The plan is being created to address the needs of an area that expects its population to nearly double to 80,000 by 2051, a change largely driven by the arrival of the Volkswagen and PowerCo SE battery gigafactory.
Residents can learn about the project and provide input at the following locations:
- Thursday, April 9: St. Thomas Public Library from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Friday, April 10: Joe Thornton Community Centre from 5:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.
- Saturday, April 11: Joe Thornton Community Centre from 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.
The sessions on Friday and Saturday will take place during the St. Thomas & Elgin Homebuilders’ Association Home Show. This annual event, which features more than 130 vendors, runs from April 10 to April 12.
The current transit system, operated by Voyageur Transportation, provides both conventional and parallel services. The new transit plan aims to improve this network by realigning routes to be more direct, planning for a zero-emission bus fleet, and exploring better regional connections to London and Middlesex County. The project process will include a second round of public engagement in the fall, with final recommendations expected to be presented to City Council in Winter 2027.
