TORONTO – As Canadians prepare to vote in this year’s federal election, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Big City Mayors’ Caucus is calling on federal leaders to commit to a permanent public transit funding mechanism. This key plank of FCM’s election platform will generate significant transit progress that will shorten commutes, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and build better lives for Canadians.
Members of the Big City Mayors’ Caucus (BCMC) are meeting in Toronto today as part of a gathering of the National Association of City Transportation Officials (NACTO) conference.
“This gathering of mayors and elected officials from across Canada is a clear sign of how important a long-term transit vision is to Canadian families, workers and seniors,” said Edmonton Mayor and BCMC Chair Don Iveson. “We are calling on federal leaders from each party to make a firm commitment in their platforms for permanent support for transit, benefitting communities of all sizes in every region of the country.”
The current 10-year federal transit plan is generating real results for Canadians, from Quebec City’s public transit system to Edmonton’s Valley Line West. FCM’s proposal would extend this plan’s annual funding allocations beyond their 2027 sunset date, through a permanent federal funding mechanism for Canada’s transit systems.
"Our cities are strong, successful and growing. To continue that economic and social prosperity, we must continue to expand our transit systems to support that growth. The only way that transit expansion in cities can continue is with the certainty and stability of committed federal funding," said Toronto Mayor John Tory. "Pledging to ensure the Government of Canada will continue to invest in transit infrastructure beyond 2027 is a commitment to the future prosperity of our cities and the economic wellbeing of our entire country."
The BCMC is also committed to seeing Canada’s largest urban centres do their part in addressing our national climate goals. That is why FCM’s platform calls for additional funding in the near-term to accelerate the mass adoption of low-to-zero emission transit and municipal fleet vehicles.
Over the long-term, a complementary fund should also be created that would allow municipalities of all sizes to apply for funds for projects that grow ridership or address mobility challenges that can’t be met by ridership-based allocations alone. This might include anything from paratransit to seniors’ shuttles to regional bus networks.
For more information on the Big City Mayors’ Caucus and the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ transit policies, please visit FCM.ca
The Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Big City Mayors' Caucus (BCMC) is the voice of 22 of Canada's biggest cities. FCM is the national voice of municipal governments, with nearly 2,000 members representing more than 90 per cent of the Canadian population.
For more information: FCM Media Relations, (613) 907-6395, media@fcm.ca