A committee of 13 B.C. mayors has joined the call in asking the federal government to continue supporting public transportation.
Two years ago, in July 2020, the federal Liberals announced the Safe Restart Agreement, a deal that saw Canada transfer $19 billion to the provinces for a variety of items, including public transit.
On Wednesday, the B.C. Urban Mayors’ Caucus (BCUMC) issued a statement, asking the federal government to extend critical public transportation funding, specifically to TransLink, BC Transit and BC Ferries.
The BCUMC says public transit is one of four strategic pillars identified in its blueprint for B.C.’s urban future, and that “affordable and accessible public transit is critical to the economic, social and environmental future of our cities.”
Also Wednesday, the Big City Mayors’ Caucus of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities released a statement, asking the federal Liberals to cover projected transit shortfalls for 2022, or else risk major service reductions, postponed construction of new projects and property tax hikes.
“I don’t think anybody wants to see transit service cut. It’s too important for too many reasons, for too many people,” Halifax mayor Mike Savage said in an interview.
“Strong transportation networks are pivotal to our communities’ health, resilience, and economic recovery post-pandemic,” said Victoria Mayor Lisa Helps, co-chair of the BCUMC.
“We know that reliable public transit and transportation is a backbone to business and workforce revitalization, education and training enabling students to get to class, provides connections to new housing options and gives access for residents of all ages, abilities and backgrounds to community and health services.”
The BCUMC says because of the ongoing pandemic, investing in public transportation has never been more important.
“Investments in transportation supports the critical needs of today that the pandemic has placed on transit systems and operations,” said the BCUMC, “but also so that momentum continues on the future visions for sustainable public transportation to meet the needs of rapidly growing communities.”
Under the Safe Restart Agreement, British Columbia was expected to receive around $2 billion in transfers. And of that, $809.7 million was earmarked specifically for municipal and transit services.
“For our cities to remain competitive in a post-pandemic economy we must keep building transit-friendly communities and invest consistently in high-quality transportation that reduces road congestion and greenhouse gas emission, keeps our goods moving efficiently on limited road space and offers an affordable transportation mode to all residents,” said Kelowna Mayor Colin, also a BCUMC co-chair.
The BCUMC is comprised of mayors from Abbotsford, Burnaby, Coquitlam, Kamloops, Kelowna, Nanaimo, New Westminster, Prince George, Richmond, Saanich, Surrey, Vancouver and Victoria.
The BCUMC says its other three pillars are mental health, substance use and treatment; affordable housing; and a new fiscal framework.
— with files from the Canadian Press