May 14, 2024 — With Clearwater Terminal ready to accommodate buses, the City will officially shift its transit routes when the new facility comes online May 27, 2024.
In line with the guidance of the City’s Transit Master Plan, the new Clearwater Terminal will replace the existing Murphy Road Terminal, functioning as the community’s first full-sized transit terminal. The creation of a new terminal coincides with the recent opening of a new Lambton County Library at the arena, part of an ongoing effort to transform the Clearwater site into a community hub serving diverse recreation and leisure needs.
The new $3 million facility provides space for up to eight buses allowing riders to transfer safely and conveniently between routes while providing capacity for future growth in the east end of the community. The project was jointly funded by the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario, and the City of Sarnia, including $1.19 million in federal funding, and $999,065 in provincial funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. Funding for the new Clearwater Terminal also included $696,753 in provincial Gas Tax funding.
“The completion of the Clearwater Terminal in Sarnia marks another step toward connecting communities through reliable and safe public transit,” said Peter Fragiskatos, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, and Member of Parliament for London North Centre. “This new accessible terminal will improve both safety and access to public transit for the community.”
“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is making historic investments in public transit to help communities like Sarnia revitalize their transportation infrastructure,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation. “The opening of the Clearwater Terminal is another milestone in our mission to deliver world-class transit options for people in every corner of Ontario.”
“This is a huge step for us as we continue our work to deliver reliable transit service that meets the needs of our riders and provides connections across the community, including areas that are poised to grow in the years to come. The space wasn’t there to expand services at Murphy Road so this was essential for us to continue that commitment to our residents. Utilizing Clearwater not only makes us future ready but means our riders can access Clearwater Arena and its facilities while they connect to employment, recreation, shopping, and education destinations,” said General Manager of Engineering and Operations David Jackson.
Recognizing prior public input, and the importance of the Murphy Road facility in accessing area services and businesses, Sarnia Transit will continue stops for several routes at the location.
The opening of the new Clearwater Terminal will result in changes to routes and schedules. To make riders aware the City has developed a new interactive online transit map, reflecting the new routes that will come into effect starting May 27, 2024.
The new tool allows users to browse evening, weekday and weekend routes and schedules alongside detour information from a single portal at www.sarnia.ca/TransitMaps. The tool is now available for riders to familiarize themselves with routes before the transition to the Clearwater Terminal. Printed maps are also available at City Hall customer service.
“The new Clearwater Terminal shows that the Ontario government is delivering on our commitment to fund construction, expansion and improvement of public transit networks,” said Bob Bailey, MPP for Sarnia-Lambton. “Our government’s investment in the new Sarnia Transit Hub will make public transit in Sarnia-Lambton better, safer, and more accessible.”