New transit ridership numbers underscore importance of long-term investment (23/10/2011)

Today's Statistics Canada report showing increased transit ridership across the country underscores the importance of long-term investment in public transit, says the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

"Today's report shows that Canadians are increasingly looking to public transit as a way to get to work, get to school, and get around their communities," said Berry Vrbanovic, president of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. "We need long-term investments to meet growing transit demand."

According to Statistics Canada figures, national transit ridership has increased by 22 percent from the 2006 to 2010. To compete globally, protect our quality of life and put an end to run away commute times, Canada needs fast, efficient and convenient public transit that connects companies to customers, workers to jobs, and communities to markets.

Traffic gridlock in our cities and communities costs the average Canadian 32 working days of lost productivity, costing the national economy over $5 billion each year in congestion and adding to Canada's overall greenhouse gas emissions. Canadian cities don't have the tools to build and repair modern transit systems on their own, while also building roads and bridges, providing policing and fire protection, and carrying out new responsibilities, including many downloaded by other governments.

"Moving people efficiently requires common sense cooperation among all orders of government," said Vrbanovic.

While the federal government supports municipal public transit investments through the Gas Tax Fund, the high costs of building modern urban transit systems requires dedicated funding. The long-term infrastructure plan promised in the last federal budget must include dedicated public transit investment.