(Toronto, ON) – Transit advocacy organization TTCriders has launched a new campaign to invite federal party leaders and Toronto-area MPs to pledge their support for urgently-needed federal funding for new TTC subway trains on the Bloor-Danforth Line 2. Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May have both committed to sign the pledge.
MP Singh will sign the pledge in person at Keele Subway Station on Monday, July 15th at 5:00pm. The pledge reads: “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.”
- DATE: Monday, July 15.
- TIME: Media availability at 5:00pm.
- LOCATION: Exterior of Keele Subway Station.
- VISUALS: Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh will sign an oversized foamcore transit pledge. TTCriders volunteers will distribute flyers to transit users entering Keele Station.
- WHO: Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, volunteers with TTCriders advocacy group.
The TTC’s Line 2 subway trains will start reaching the end of their design life in 2026, but the federal Permanent Public Transit Fund is not set to begin until 2026. New trains will take years to build and deliver.
The City of Toronto and Province of Ontario have been ready to chip in their share of funding for 7 months. If the federal government does not chip in their share of funding for new trains soon, subway service will become less reliable and the TTC will need to spend at least $1.6 billion on overhauling and extending the life of existing trains, according to a recent TTC report.
TTCriders has sent invitations to all federal party leaders and Toronto MPs to sign the pledge. As of July 15, 2024, federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh and federal Green Party leader Elizabeth May have both committed to sign the pledge.
BACKGROUND LINKS:
TTC Backgrounder on Line 2 Subway Train Procurement: https://cdn.ttc.ca/-/media/Project/TTC/DevProto/Documents/Home/Public-Meetings/Board/2024/June-20/TTC-FAQ---Line-2-Subway-Train-Procurement.pdf
Canada’s 3 largest transit agencies urged the federal government to accelerate Permanent Public Transit Fund in March 2024: https://www.ttc.ca/news/2024/March/Three-biggest-transit-agencies-urge-Federal-Government-to-advance-next-wave-of-transit-funding
Environmental Defence media backgrounder about Permanent Public Transit Fund: https://environmentaldefence.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Permanent-Public-Transit-Funding-Media-Backgrounder.pdf
Statements and reports from civil society organizations that demonstrate growing consensus for federal government to support transit operating costs:
- Affordability Action Council 2024 policy brief on urban transportation: https://irpp.org/research-studies/rethinking-urban-mobility/
- Environmental Defence 2024 report on how Canada can double transit ridership by investing in transit operating budgets: https://environmentaldefence.ca/report/putting-wheels-on-the-bus-public-transit-policy-to-meet-canada-climate-goals/
- Keep Transit Moving Coalition 2024 pre-budget submission from nearly 100 organizations: https://www.keeptransitmoving.ca/2024budgetsubmission
