The Municipality of Leamington regrets to announce that the Leamington to Windsor (LTW) Transit Service will be discontinued effective April 30, 2026.
The decision follows the expiry of provincial funding and the County of Essex’s decision not to provide ongoing financial support for the regional transit service. Despite these challenges, Leamington Council approved an extension of the service through April 2026, to allow post-secondary students who rely on the LTW for transportation to complete the 2025–2026 academic year.
The LTW Transit Service was launched in 2019 through a $606,400 Community Transportation Grant from the Province of Ontario, providing residents of Leamington, Kingsville, and Essex with access to Windsor and St. Clair College. The grant, originally approved for five years, was extended to March 31, 2025, due to pandemic-related service disruptions.
Following the expiry of this grant, the Province confirmed that no further operating funding would be available for the LTW, and in October 2025, the County of Essex declined to fund the 2026 operating deficit. Without regional or provincial funding partners, the service is financially unsustainable for the Municipality to operate on its own.
“The Municipality worked diligently to try and secure sustainable funding for the LTW service,” said Robert Sharon, Director of Infrastructure Services. “While we share the community’s disappointment, the expiry of the provincial grant and the absence of regional funding made continuation beyond April 2026 financially unfeasible. Council’s decision to extend the service through the end of the school year reflects a genuine effort to minimize disruption for those who depend on it, particularly students.”
The Municipality will work with its service provider, Transit Windsor, and the municipalities of Essex and Kingsville to ensure that riders receive advance notice and information regarding the service conclusion. Notices will be posted on LTW buses, at key locations, and shared through municipal communication channels.
Residents can stay informed by visiting leamington.ca/LTW.