ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, MOVEMENT: METRO VANCOUVER TRANSIT RIDERS, DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION
Public Transit Riders, Environmental Groups Urge Long-Term Fix to Transit Funding Model
Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – Today, TransLink (Metro Vancouver’s transit agency) revealed to the public the looming consequences of not fixing Canada’s broken public transit funding model.
The scenarios reported to the Mayor’s Council on Regional Transportation include;
- Up to a 50 per cent cut in bus service,
- 145 of 230 transit routes cancelled,
- A 30 per cent reduction in Skytrain service,
- Up to 675,000 people losing access to transit service within walking distance,
- Up to 265,000 jobs becoming no longer accessible by transit,
- Congestion worsening by 20%.
In response, Environmental Defence, Movement, and the David Suzuki Foundation urge the federal and provincial government to work together and develop a long-term fix to broken transit finances in Vancouver and across the country.
Quotes
“These shocking numbers only highlight how the federal government’s recently announced Canada Public Transit Fund does nothing to address the core challenge facing transit systems today: a shortage of operations funding. Not a single cent of the $30 billion announced by the Prime Minister last week can go towards stopping transit service cuts in Metro Vancouver. Choosing not to fund public transit operations has severe consequences: congestion will become worse, people will lose access to frequent and reliable transit, and this will only push us further from meeting our climate goals. The federal government must step up and work with provincial governments to craft a New Deal for public transit,” said Nate Wallace, Clean Transportation Program Manager at Environmental Defence.
“There isn’t enough transit today for the number of riders we have. Seeing ‘Sorry Bus Full’ on the front of a bus is increasingly common. Can you imagine cutting almost every bus route in Langley, Maple Ridge, Pitt Meadows, and the Tri-Cities? This doomsday for transit riders is also going to be a doomsday for businesses that use our region’s roads. Over a third of our region rides transit; what happens when the transit they’re riding gets pulled out from under them? What will be the cost to truckers when one 60-foot bus transforms into 70 cars? When British Columbians vote this October, they should not have to be worried about having to go out and spend tens of thousands of dollars on a new car. We need every political party to commit to stopping this transit apocalypse.” said Denis Agar, Executive Director of Movement: Metro Vancouver Transit Riders.
“We need to save public transit, so public transit can help save the planet. Stopping public transit service cuts isn’t optional – it’s essential to meeting our climate goals. The federal and provincial government must work together on hammering out a long-term funding solution that finally fixes the broken public transit funding model in Vancouver and in cities across the country,” said Gideon Forman, Climate Change and Transportation Policy Analyst at the David Suzuki Foundation.
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 MOVEMENT (movementyvr.ca): Metro Vancouver Transit Riders (Movement) is a group of riders fighting for better transit in Metro Vancouver.
ABOUT DAVID SUZUKI FOUNDATION (davidsuzuki.org): Founded in 1990, the David Suzuki Foundation is a national, bilingual non-profit organization headquartered in Vancouver, with offices in Toronto and Montreal. Through evidence-based research, education and policy analysis, we work to conserve and protect the natural environment, and help create a sustainable Canada.
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For more information or to request an interview, please contact:
Midhat Moini, Environmental Defence, media@environmentaldefence.ca
Denis Agar, Metro Vancouver Transit Riders, denis@movementyvr.ca
Brandon Wei, David Suzuki Foundation, bwei@davidsuzuki.org
