Feb 8, 2023 Media Release
KEEP TRANSIT MOVING COALITION OUTLINES KEY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BUDGET 2023
Important asks for the 2023 federal budget include permanent operational funding for transit systems, public intercity highway bus service, and accessibility and safety improvements.
A broad coalition of unions, environmental organizations, and rider advocates released its annual pre-budget submission with five recommendations for the 2023 federal budget. The full submission document can be read here.
The Keep Transit Moving Coalition published five central recommendations that would improve public transit for all Canadians:
Establish permanent federal funding for transit operations.
Create low-carbon rural and intercity public transit through the formation of a national, intericty highway bus service, and by revitalising national passenger rail.
Maintain previously announced capital investments in transit infrastructure.
Deprioritize energy intensive infrastructure, by redirecting funds currently allocated for highway expansion projects towards maintaining and expanding public transit infrastructure.
Improve accessible transit by conducting an accessibility audit of all transit infrastructure, increasing funding to local agencies to expand para-transit services, and make vehicle accessibility grants available to motorcoach operators for vehicles that are used predominantly for highway motorcoach service.
The Keep Transit Moving Coalition was founded in the spring of 2020, when dozens of organizations from across the country came together at the start of the COVID pandemic to protect Canada’s public transit systems from the death spiral of service cuts, defunding, and eventual privatisation. As the pandemic has ebbed and ridership increased, the Coalition has continued to fight for affordable, efficient, and excellent public transit for all, and sought to position public transit as a key pillar in Canada’s climate strategy.
