TTCriders asked all federal MP candidates about their commitments to public transit. Read their responses to our transit policy survey and see where your candidates stand on improving public transit!
What Federal MP Candidates are promising for transit in Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale
What Federal MP Candidates are promising for transit in Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale
Investing in transit means good, green Canadian jobs, less congestion in the cities that power our economy, reliable access to jobs and opportunity, and more affordable commutes for everyone. TTCriders circulated a transit policy survey to all MP candidates in Scarborough Southwest and University-Rosedale ahead of the 2026 Federal by-election in those respective ridings on April 13.
We asked MP candidates:
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Will you commit to maximizing transit investment through the $51-billion Building Communities Strong Fund for the TTC's pressing repair needs, building new LRT and subway lines, and installation of platform edge doors system-wide?
- In 2024, the previous Liberal government announced the Canada Public Transit Fund which provided $30 billion in dedicated funding for transit capital projects over 10 years. Capital projects include much-needed repair work, the modernization of aging buses and trains, and new transit lines. The CPTF was critical in providing the federal funding share for the TTC to purchase new subway cars to replace aging and increasingly unreliable trains on Line 2. The Canada Public Transit Fund was cut by $5 billion in 2026, and the remaining $25 billion was folded into the Building Communities Strong Fund, a larger funding pool for general infrastructure projects like roads and hospitals. At the same time, record-breaking congestion is costing the Toronto area $44.7 billion annually in social and economic costs, highlighting the need for more investment in new transit lines.
- In 2024, the previous Liberal government announced the Canada Public Transit Fund which provided $30 billion in dedicated funding for transit capital projects over 10 years. Capital projects include much-needed repair work, the modernization of aging buses and trains, and new transit lines. The CPTF was critical in providing the federal funding share for the TTC to purchase new subway cars to replace aging and increasingly unreliable trains on Line 2. The Canada Public Transit Fund was cut by $5 billion in 2026, and the remaining $25 billion was folded into the Building Communities Strong Fund, a larger funding pool for general infrastructure projects like roads and hospitals. At the same time, record-breaking congestion is costing the Toronto area $44.7 billion annually in social and economic costs, highlighting the need for more investment in new transit lines.
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Will you commit to doubling dedicated transit funding within the Building Communities Strong Fund?
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Currently, the fund is limited to capital projects, which means that agencies cannot use it to stop service cuts, make fares more affordable or to fund increased transit service, such as added frequency or more routes. Public transit systems continue to struggle financially from pandemic impacts and their reliance on farebox revenue for operating budgets. Ridership in most Canadian communities has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, yet roads are more congested than ever. But when agencies respond by cutting service, they risk driving away more transit users.
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Currently, the fund is limited to capital projects, which means that agencies cannot use it to stop service cuts, make fares more affordable or to fund increased transit service, such as added frequency or more routes. Public transit systems continue to struggle financially from pandemic impacts and their reliance on farebox revenue for operating budgets. Ridership in most Canadian communities has not recovered to pre-pandemic levels, yet roads are more congested than ever. But when agencies respond by cutting service, they risk driving away more transit users.
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Will you commit to providing ongoing and sustainable transit operations funding to improve service and lower wait times?
- Repairs, new transit vehicles, and new transit lines are just one part of the mobility equation. Without operations funding to keep transit service running on a day-to-day basis, people will not be able to access jobs, education, or other opportunities. Unlike peer transit agencies in the United States and other countries, Canadian transit agencies (like the TTC) receive no recurring funding support from the federal government. Budget constraints potentially mean service cuts and fare hikes at a time when Canadians are most concerned about economic uncertainty and cost of living. Stable, recurring operations funding from the federal government will ensure Torontonians can continue to afford transit and be able to get to school and work on time, while decongesting roads.
In Scarborough Southwest, we asked one additional question:
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Will you commit to funding the Eglinton East LRT?
- The Eglinton East LRT is an unfunded $4.65 billion 19-kilometre light rail proposal connecting Kennedy Station to the University of Toronto Scarborough Campus and Malvern, expected to serve over 40,000 riders per day. The Eglinton East LRT would provide more reliable and fast transit in underserved areas of Scarborough Southwest along Eglinton Avenue and Kingston Road. Without a federal funding commitment, Scarborough residents could be waiting decades for new transit.
Scarborough Southwest Survey Results
1. Will you commit to maximizing transit investment through the $51-billion Building Communities Strong Fund for the TTC's pressing repair needs, building new LRT and subway lines, and installation of platform edge doors system-wide?
| Doly Begum (Liberal) | Diana Filipova (Conservative) |
|
Partially answered in statement below |
No response |
|
"If elected, Doly will work tirelessly to ensure that Scarborough Southwest receives the infrastructure funding we need to improve all types of transit – including our subways, LRTs, and bus routes.""
|
|
| Fatima Shaban (NDP) | Pooja Malhotra (Green) |
|
Yes |
Yes |
| "Cutting $5 billion from dedicated transit funding and folding the rest into a general infrastructure fund is the wrong move. Public transit needs stable, predictable investment, not competition with roads and other projects. With congestion costing the Toronto region nearly $45 billion a year, we should be expanding transit funding, not reducing it. New Democrats will fight for reliable funding to fix the TTC, improve service, and build the transit people need." | "As someone who doesn't drive and is a transit rider, I know the importance of safe, reliable and affordable transit. I can commit to using any and every leverage and/or tools available to me as an MP to push the Liberal government into not just restoring the funding but increasing it. A well functioning public transit system is the backbone of any city and benefits not just transit users but also drivers on road. A robust transit system is also needed to support any meaningful climate action." |
2. Will you commit to doubling dedicated transit funding within the Building Communities Strong Fund?
| Doly Begum (Liberal) | Diana Filipova (Conservative) |
|
No response |
No response |
| Fatima Shaban (NDP) | Pooja Malhotra (Green) |
|
Yes |
Yes |
3. Will you commit to providing ongoing and sustainable transit operations funding to improve service and lower wait times?
| Doly Begum (Liberal) | Diana Filipova (Conservative) |
|
No response |
No response |
| Fatima Shaban (NDP) | Pooja Malhotra (Green) |
|
Yes |
Yes |
| "Yes, I support stable, recurring federal operations funding for public transit. Capital investments are important, but without reliable funding to run service day to day, people face cuts and fare hikes. At a time of rising costs, we should be making transit more affordable and accessible. New Democrats believe the federal government must step up to support operations so people can get to work, school, and services reliably while reducing congestion." | "The solution to ever increasing vehicular congestion isn't building new highways or expanding existing one, but improving our transit system and expanding it with last mile connectivity." |
4. Will you commit to funding the Eglinton East LRT?
| Doly Begum (Liberal) | Diana Filipova (Conservative) |
|
No response |
No response |
| Fatima Shaban (NDP) | Pooja Malhotra (Green) |
|
Yes |
Yes |
Response from the Doly Begum Campaign
While we did not receive answers to our four survey questions from Liberal candidate Doly Begum, we received this comment from her campaign:
"People in Scarborough face some of the longest commute times in our city. Our communities can only grow when there are investments in foundational infrastructure projects like public transit.
While serving as MPP and, more recently, as the province’s public transit critic, Doly worked hard to ensure accountability and transparency for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT construction delays and costs, and to bring better infrastructure to our community through her years of advocacy for the Scarborough Subway extension.
The federal government plays a key role in delivering these investments – and that’s exactly what the new Liberal team has been doing. In Budget 2025, the government announced the launch of the Build Communities Strong Fund – a $51 billion Canadian federal program to modernize local infrastructure across the country, including funding for public transit.
Just last week, the federal government announced an investment of over $183 million to the City of Toronto for the 2025-26 fiscal year through what will be the Community Stream of the Build Communities Strong Fund. This allocation will help to improve transit and make it more accessible through projects like the Toronto Transit Commission’s Easier Access Program, which will upgrade subway stations with elevators, accessible doors, updated signage, and wayfinding.
If elected, Doly will work tirelessly to ensure that Scarborough Southwest receives the infrastructure funding we need to improve all types of transit – including our subways, LRTs, and bus routes."
University-Rosedale Survey Results
1. Will you commit to maximizing transit investment through the $51-billion Building Communities Strong Fund for the TTC's pressing repair needs, building new LRT and subway lines, and installation of platform edge doors system-wide?
|
Don Hudgson (Conservative) |
Andrew Massey (Green) |
|
No response |
Yes |
|
|
"Greens will always fight for the maximum when it comes to transit, as we believe that it must be a clear federal priority. We call for TTC repairs, new vehicles, safety upgrades like platform edge doors, and new rapid transit lines. We will pressure the government for also support increasing dedicated transit funding within the BCSF because congestion, affordability, and climate goals all demand reliable, safe, high-capacity public transit." |
| Danielle Martin (Liberal) | Serena Purdy (NDP) |
|
Partially answered |
Yes |
| "If elected, Danielle will continue to champion investments in public transit, through the Build Communities Strong Fund, that benefit TTC Riders in the University–Rosedale community and across Toronto." | "Transit is the bloodline of any city. University-Rosedale has 18 subway stations and numerous but and streetcar lines. All Canadians deserve universal, free transit, made with Canadian materials, and by Canadian workers." |
| Imran Khan (Centrist) |
|
Yes |
|
"Transit is the Future. Transit Should be Free of COST for ANY and ALL Canadians. It is the Right of All Citizens who are being ripped off by Triple Taxation to Ride not free but from the many they are already paying! We just need to cut bureaucracy and red tape and we can have it all!"
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2. Will you commit to doubling dedicated transit funding within the Building Communities Strong Fund?
|
Don Hudgson (Conservative) |
Andrew Massey (Green) |
|
No response |
Yes |
| Danielle Martin (Liberal) | Serena Purdy (NDP) |
|
No response |
Yes |
| Imran Khan (Centrist) |
|
Yes |
3. Will you commit to providing ongoing and sustainable transit operations funding to improve service and lower wait times?
|
Don Hudgson (Conservative) |
Andrew Massey (Green) |
|
No response |
Yes |
| "Greens demand stable, recurring federal transit operating funding, not just capital funding. Public transit is essential infrastructure. The TTC needs predictable support to avoid service cuts, fare hikes, and long waits. A Green MP can pressure the government to release operating funds directly to municipalities. This will improve frequency, reliability, and affordability, while reducing congestion and emissions. It's not like we don't have the money for this." | |
| Danielle Martin (Liberal) | Serena Purdy (NDP) |
|
No response |
Yes |
|
"As your MP I would fight for stable federal funding that makes our transit system safer, more reliable, and accessible."
|
| Imran Khan (Centrist) |
|
Yes |
| "I have seen the delays and waited for streetcars and subways and know how it feels to be late ! I will do everything in my power to make our Transit System the Best in the World and Again NO COST TO ANYONE - Ride with pride!" |
Response from the Danielle Martin Campaign
We also didn't receive answers to our specific questions in the survey from Liberal candidate Danielle Martin, but received a statement from her campaign regarding her transit priorities, reprinted in full here:
"As a member of Mark Carney’s team, Dr. Danielle Martin will be an outspoken advocate for our community, including the needs of transit riders. As a daily transit rider herself over the past 20 years, Dr. Martin recognizes the importance of accessible and reliable public transit as a driver of our community and our economy.
Through the Liberal Government’s Build Communities Strong Fund, the government is investing in foundational public transit infrastructure projects, including the Waterfront East transit line, GO 2.0, the Ontario Line, Eglinton Crosstown West Extension, Scarborough Subway Extension, and Yonge North Subway Extension.
If elected, Danielle will continue to champion investments in public transit, through the Build Communities Strong Fund, that benefit TTC Riders in the University–Rosedale community and across Toronto."