Canada Public Transit Fund details announced
On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that the Canada Public Transit Fund (CPTF) is now open for applications. This is a big step forward in our campaign for federal transit funding! But it falls short of what transit riders need today.
We wanted to share with you some of the reactions to this announcement, our thoughts, and our next steps (see more reactions on our Instagram here).
As you can see, the reactions are mixed! Permanent federal funding for public transit is incredibly important, but there are some things missing from this announcement.
The good news is:
- The TTC has already submitted an application for funding for new subway trains on Line 2!
The bad news is:
- Cities won’t have the choice to use federal funding to run more frequent, reliable service.
- Federal funding will not be sent to cities until 2026.
- Cities across the country will be competing for this money, and it won’t be enough to meet everyone’s needs!
For example, the TTC alone needs $2.4 billion each year on average to keep the system in a state of good repair, according to Toronto's latest corporate asset management plan.
New Trains?
The Canada Public Transit Fund is a good start, but at present it isn’t enough. It is good news that the TTC has been able to apply for funding for new trains, but this is hardly a guarantee. The TTC needs to order new trains soon, because Line 2 trains will start to reach the end of their design life in 2026. That’s the same year that Toronto will host several FIFA World Cup games: Thousands of visitors will arrive in Toronto and use the TTC to get around.
TTCriders will follow the progress of the TTC's application and we will continue asking all MPs and federal party leaders to commit to fund new subway trains.
Better Service?
The Canada Public Transit Fund will not improve TTC service today. The Fund can be used to purchase new transit vehicles and build new infrastructure, but it won’t help to pay for gas or hire the drivers, mechanics, and other workers who are needed to operate vehicles so our buses arrive more frequently. We want the CPTF to be flexible so cities have the choice to use the money to improve service, and this money should be available NOW, not in 2026.
Not Enough
It is clear that the money the federal government has allocated to this fund is not enough. The Canada Public Transit Fund will distribute $30 billion over 10 years (or $3 billion per year on average). But this funding is supposed to help transit agencies across the whole country, and $500 million per year will be set aside for targeted priorities like rural and Indigenous communities.
Toronto will be competing with cities like Vancouver, Edmonton, Ottawa, Montreal, and so many others, to get money from the remaining $2.5 billion each year. If the TTC's request for $758 million to pay for Line 2 trains is approved, this project alone would use up 25% of one year's funding for all of Canada. Meanwhile, the TTC needs about $2.4 billion each year just to keep our transit system in a state of good repair.
For the Canada Public Transit Fund to make a big difference for transit riders, more federal money needs to be made available.
The Transit Pledge
TTCriders has asked the leaders of the 4 major federal parties and every MP in Toronto to sign a transit pledge:
“I pledge my support for immediate federal funding for new TTC subway trains, accelerating the Permanent Public Transit Fund, and making it available for transit operating budgets.”
On Monday, July 15, Jagmeet Singh, the leader of the Federal NDP, became the first person to sign.
On Tuesday, July 16, Elizabeth May, leader of the Federal Green Party, became the second person to sign.
What Is Next?
TTCriders has been contacting federal MPs and requesting meetings to talk about transit funding for months. Groups of volunteers across the city will be preparing and meeting together to ask our MPs to sign the pledge. Until the requests in the transit pledge are met, we will keep asking MPs to sign!
Do you want to take the next step and meet with your MP? If you are interested in working with other TTCriders volunteers and members or want to join a group in your riding, email [email protected]!
If you have questions about the Canada Public Transit Fund, check out these links for more information: