Accelerating public transit across the country

Public transit is in crisis. Service is unreliable, wait times are too long and fares are too high. To whose detriment? All of us who rely on public transit to get to work, to school, to the grocery store and for our daily travel.

This problem is not unique to Quebec. Across Canada, a lack of public transit funding forces the majority of Canadians to rely on cars for their travel needs, making transportation the second largest source of carbon pollution in the country and creating a highly problematic dependency on cars.

While provincial governments and municipalities play a central role in the development, maintenance and funding of public transportation, the federal government can and must demonstrate its willingness to make it easier and more affordable for Canadians to travel by public transit.

Our new report shows that even a modest federal investment could bring about major change.

In order to provide public transit services that are enticing to users, the federal government can and must help finance it properly, not only through project development, but also through operational support.

Our report shows that by establishing new funding agreements with provinces and cities, Canada can help turn around public transit systems, while maintaining services.

The report outlines the following opportunities for 2035:

• to ensure reasonable fares and leave more money in people's pockets;

• to double public transit ridership and increase service frequency;

• to reduce carbon emissions by 65 million tonnes.