ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, TTC RIDERS, MOVEMENT: METRO VANCOUVER TRANSIT RIDERS, EDMONTON TRANSIT RIDERS, ACTIVATE TRANSIT WINDSOR-ESSEX
Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat – Starting today, October 15th through to October 20th, transit riders, advocates, and allies are coming together for Transit Action Week. This is a nationwide effort to demand better funding for public transit systems across the country. This week, actions across the nation will highlight the urgent need for affordable, accessible, and reliable transit systems to help Canada meet its climate targets and create a more equitable future.
Communities across Canada, including: Toronto, Windsor-Essex, Edmonton, Vancouver, Kitchener-Waterloo, and more are hosting events like rallies, group canvassing, and even advocacy group launch parties. Participants are united in calling for the federal government to speed up the deployment of the Canada Public Transit Fund. They are also pushing for the fund to cover operational costs such as hiring more drivers, mechanics, and staff to keep buses, trains, and streetcars in motion. Additionally, advocates are demanding an increase in the fund to meet the growing transit needs across the country.
Transit Action Week calls on policymakers to make transit a top priority and empower communities to tackle the climate crisis while improving daily life for millions of Canadians.
Quotes:
Nate Wallace, Clean Transportation Program Manager at Environmental Defence said:
“Public transit activists and the environmental community are coming together like never before. We are united in our shared call to accelerate and expand the Canada Public Transit Fund. There doesn’t have to be a trade-off between better infrastructure and better service. We can build the transformative public transit projects that future generations will enjoy while also improving the service current transit riders experience right now. This isn’t just about saving the planet, but also improving the lives of transit riders and the people in our communities.”
Shelagh Pizey-Allen, Executive Director of TTCriders said:
“Subway riders in Toronto are sick of slow repair zones adding time to our commutes every day, but the Canada Public Transit Fund is not big enough to make a serious dent in our system’s maintenance needs. Transit agencies across the country will be competing over $3 billion each year, while the TTC’s unfunded state of good repair needs average $2.4 billion each year.” TTCriders is holding a rally on Thursday, October 17th at 5:00pm at Bathurst subway station.
Nate Hope, Founding Member of Activate Transit Windsor Essex said:
“Public transit has been underfunded and undervalued in Windsor-Essex for too long. Buses by-pass riders or sometimes don’t even show up at all. This prevents people from accessing work, school, and appointments. Cities have a role to play but so do other levels of government. These needs require long-term operational investments, not just one time capital projects.” ATWE will be canvassing at the Downtown Windsor Transit Terminal on Thursday, October 17th at 2pm.
Denis Agar, Executive Director of Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders said:
“Metro Vancouver’s buses and trains are full, and we need more of them. It’s that simple. We hear stories from members of 4-5 buses passing by a stop, full to the brim. Imagine standing on a crush-loaded bus for over an hour travelling through freeway congestion, and then not being sure if there will be enough room on the bus for you to get home. That’s the experience that riders of BC Transit’s route 66 have every day between Abbotsford and Burnaby. We’re calling on all three levels of government to invest in transit so that we can move around our regions with dignity and ease.” Their group will be canvassing at Richmond-Brighouse Station on Tuesday, October 15th from 3pm-6pm.
Daniel Witte, Board Chair of Edmonton Transit Riders said:
“Edmonton is quickly nearing the limits of the transit service it can operate. People all across our city deserve access to dependable and fast public transit to connect them to employment, education, and community. However with many areas of our city not receiving the service that they deserve, and a lack of buses to run along those routes, Edmonton requires immediate support from all levels of government to ensure our record breaking number of transit riders won’t have to depend on a service being stretched thinner and thinner across our large and growing city.” ETR will be holding a public Launch Party at Stadium LRT Station on Sunday, October 20th at 11:30am.
ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
ABOUT TTCRIDERS (www.ttcriders.ca): TTCriders is a membership-based transit advocacy organization that advocates for accessible, frequent, dignified public transit that connects all Toronto neighbourhoods.
ABOUT ACTIVATE TRANSIT WINDSOR ESSEX: (www.atwe.ca) – Activate Transit Windsor Essex is a grassroots advocacy group working for a more accessible and sustainable transportation system in Windsor and Essex County.
ABOUT MOVEMENT: (www.movementyvr.ca) – Movement is a non-profit in Metro Vancouver that’s mobilizing the region’s one million transit riders to make transit better. In the face of increasing congestion, record levels of overcrowding, and potentially devastating budget cuts in 2026, Movement is focused on securing more funding for transit and more bus lanes.
ABOUT EDMONTON TRANSIT RIDERS (Edmontontransitriders.org) – Edmonton Transit Riders is a local non-profit organization made up of passionate community builders and frequent transit riders, advocating for a transit system that gets the funding, care, and attention that it deserves. We strongly believe in the power of community members coming together to bring positive change to our city and want to see a strong public transit system that supports all Edmontonians.
– 30 –
For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Karishma Porwal, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca
Shelagh Pizey-Allen, TTCriders, shelagh@ttcriders.ca
Nate Hope, ATWE, activatetransitwindsoressex@gmail.com
Denis Agar, Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders, denis@movementyvr.ca
Daniel Witte, Edmonton Transit Riders, daniel@edmontontransitriders.org
