On Wednesday, February 10th, the Prime Minister announced $14.9 billion for public transit projects over the next eight years. This announcement includes permanent funding of $3 billion per year for Canadian communities beginning in 2026-27. No specific details regarding allocations have been provided.
This announcement provides predictable transit funding in support of the federal plan to create one million jobs, fight climate change, and rebuild a more sustainable and resilient economy.
Investments are intended to:
- Help Canadians move around easier and create new jobs by building major public transit projects, providing dedicated planning funding to accelerate future major projects, and supporting the expansion of large urban transit systems that many Canadians depend on every day.
- Reduce pollution and create jobs for Canadians by enhancing public transit systems and switching them to cleaner electrical power, including supporting the use of zero-emission vehicles and related infrastructure, complementing the work of the Canada Infrastructure Bank.
- Support healthy lifestyles in our communities and meet the growing demand for active transportation projects, including by building walkways and paths for cycling, walking, scooters, e-bikes and wheelchairs.
- Help Canadians living in rural and remote areas travel to and from work more easily and access essential services, by working with rural, remote and Indigenous communities to identify and create transit solutions that meet their needs.
- Support our cities and communities by making a permanent and stable federal commitment to funding public transit, and facilitate partnerships between all orders of government, Indigenous communities, transit agencies and other stakeholders to develop an approach to permanent public transit funding in a manner that offers the greatest benefits to Canadians.
Over the coming months, Infrastructure Canada will work with provinces, territories, municipalities, local governments, Indigenous communities, transit agencies, policy experts and other stakeholders to develop programming for the $3 billion in permanent public transit funding.
Consultations will also address how all levels of government can work in partnership to optimize the benefits of investments in public transit.
As more information becomes available, details will be shared with Members of Council.
This is great news for the City’s transit system which has been especially hard hit during this pandemic. When I receive updates I will share them with the residents of Bay Ward.
