Toronto City Councillors are voting soon on a new funding source for TTC and climate action. A corporate parking lot levy will mean more frequent service and faster commutes.
Other cities have funded transit by implementing a Corporate Parking Lot Levy. Montreal, Melbourne, and New York City have corporate lot levies. High-quality transit makes better cities.
The lot levy could raise hundreds of millions of dollars for transit. This tool could raise significant new funding from big box stores like Yorkdale or Fairview, to be used for better transit.
The TTC is in dire need of funding. The TTC relies on the fares we pay to run the transit system. But with fewer riders using transit in the pandemic, the TTC faces major budget shortfalls this year and into the future. Without a funding source, we could see longer waits, higher fares, and more crowded, unreliable transit.
Before the pandemic, transit rider fares paid for ⅔ of the TTC’s operating budget. It’s time to fix the transit funding model. The provincial and federal governments to chip in for TTC too.
Ask your City Councillor to vote yes for new transit funding! Sign the petition on the right side of this page to send the letter below to your Councillor.
"I am writing today to encourage you to support a Commercial Parking Levy to fund the TTC as part of Toronto's Long Term Financial Plan.
Other cities have funded transit by implementing a parking levy. Montreal, Melbourne, and New York City have corporate lot levies. High-quality transit benefits everyone and makes better cities.
As staff prepare options for a Commercial Parking Levy, I urge you to consider that big malls and box stores like Yorkdale or Fairview benefit from being connected to public transit. Toronto must not leave out big corporate landlords from such a levy.
Before the pandemic, transit rider fares paid for ⅔ of the TTC’s operating budget. It’s time to fix the transit funding model. While the provincial and federal governments must chip in for TTC, a parking levy could be transformative and raise hundreds of millions of dollars each year for transit and climate."