Transit executives call for new federal funding
Chief executives from Toronto’s, Montreal’s and Metro Vancouver’s transit agencies are appealing to the federal government to launch the promised Permanent Transit Fund (PTF) two years ahead of schedule in order to help them address growing pressures on their systems.
In a joint federal budget submission, the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), Société de transport de Montréal (STM) and TransLink called on the government to “advance the commitment of funding under the new federal Permanent Transit Fund by early 2024, instead of 2026, to enable critical projects and programs to advance and support long term capital planning.”
The submission outlines significant challenges the agencies face due to aging infrastructure, an outdated funding model that relies on regressive sources such as transit fares and property taxes, and the exceptional ridership growth forecasted for the coming decades. With approximately 2.35 million new residents expected before 2050 in the three cities, immediate and sustained investment in transit operations, state of good repair and building capacity is essential to prepare for this growth.
“A strong public transit system is fundamental to meeting our affordability and climate action goals,” said TTC CEO Rick Leary. “With the City of Toronto and Province of Ontario committing hundreds of millions of dollars toward new subway trains for Line 2, we are hoping the Government of Canada will open the PTF early in order for us to start the process of purchasing the new trains. While that’s our immediate pressure, we also hope to be able to use this fund for new buses.”
In addition to accelerating delivery of the PTF, the submission also requests that the government permanently double the Canadian Communities Building Fund as a proven predictable funding stream for municipal infrastructure needs, and establish a forum for ongoing tri-partite engagement with all orders of government on the development of a sustainable, long-term funding model for public transit that considers the full capital and operating costs of providing high quality transit services.
The transit agencies are warning that if the government fails to deliver new funding for urban transit systems in the 2024/2025 budget, it will put in jeopardy new transit-oriented developments and reduce access to affordable housing that all three cities are working to deliver with their provincial and federal government partners.
“Just last year, Metro Vancouver’s population grew by 90,000 people – which was nearly double the projected growth for our region,” said TransLink CEO Kevin Quinn. “As our population grows, it’s imperative that our transit system expands as well. A federal funding commitment is urgently needed to help us meet the needs of our growing region.”
The joint submission is available at https://www.translink.ca/-/media/979339a466634990aebebb035d0dc2c8.