WELLAND — Transit riders in the Rose City could soon find themselves riding on one of eight new buses.

The new buses will soon be added to the Welland Transit fleet, along with two specialized transit accessible buses thanks to a $1.498-million injection of federal funds announced Friday by Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey, along with St. Catharines MP Christ Bittle in the St. Catharines Transit service garage. Welland’s share, part of a larger investment totalling nearly $15 million for eight projects across the region, will be matched the city.

Welland Transit manager Alfred Stockwell said in addition to the new buses, the nearly $3 million infrastructure investment will be used to renovate offices including the vault room, purchase and install new fare boxes, buy a new hoist for the maintenance garage as well as a fork lift and transmission jack, and move on to Phase 2 of upgrades to the transit service’s bus wash area.

“We’ve got a lot planned,” said Stockwell, adding they’re close to meeting the matching funds requirement at the municipal level.

Mayor Frank Campion was excited about what this investment will mean for the community.

“This will strengthen and improve our transit infrastructure,” he said. “It allows us to increase our fleet of buses and bring our system up-to-date.”

Badawey said the investment will provide a strong foundation for the canal corridor riding upon which to grow the region’s economy.

“This trade corridor is vital, not only for the amount of goods that it moves, but also for its connection to people and their ability to move freely and easily throughout the region, and beyond, for both work and play,” he said. “Smart infrastructure investments, such as the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund, build upon this foundation, ensuring productive and sustainable growth.”

The investment is part of an agreement between Canada and Ontario for the Public Transit Infrastructure Fund.