Montreal’s public transit agency, along with Toronto’s and Vancouver’s, are calling upon Ottawa to restore federal public transit funding after it was cut 17 per cent last year.
The country’s three largest transit agencies — Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Toronto Transit Commission (TTC), and Vancouver’s Translink — allege that the $5 billion budget cut to the Canada Public Transit Fund in 2025 makes transit funding unpredictable in the country’s biggest metropolitan regions. Originally, the federal government earmarked $30 billion for the fund, and transit agencies say the 17 per cent cut only slows down important transit projects and reduces critical maintenance.
“Together, the three transit agencies move millions of people every day in the Montreal, Toronto, and Metro Vancouver regions. Their transit systems are a powerful lever for reducing the cost of living, improving productivity, and supporting housing construction. But without adequate and predictable federal investment, major projects risk delays, rising costs, and slower progress for communities across the country,” the STM wrote in a joint statement with the TTC and Translink.
The STM has been fighting to cover its costs and maintain operations in recent years, cutting jobs and modifying bus routes. When multiple strikes shut down the transit network, the STM alleged there weren’t sufficient funds to raise wages amid contract negotiations.
During the transit workers’ strike in November, the agency’s CEO said they wouldn’t ask the provincial government for financial assistance, adding any financial reprieve had to come from internal cuts.
Now, Montreal’s public transit agency is turning to the federal government to stay afloat. STM, TTC, and TransLink have filed a joint pre-budget submission asking that they reverse the reduction of the Canada Public Transit Fund and restore it to the $30 billion originally promised over 10 years — at the very minimum.
They also demand that Ottawa speeds up funding approvals for projects where construction is ready to begin, and to index the fund to inflation and construction costs, in order for the federal government to maintain the $3 billion annual commitment beyond 2036.
The three agencies face more than $50 billion in unfunded capital needs over the next 10 years, according to the statement.
The Gazette reached out to the Ministry of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada, but did not get a response in time for publication.
CEOs and board chairs from the three agencies are in Ottawa on Monday and Tuesday to meet with ministers and elected officials to advocate for federal transit investment, which they say is a critical national program that would support housing growth, improve affordability, and strengthen economic productivity across the country.
Leora Schertzer is a reporter at the Montreal Gazette who thrives on the chase. Whether it’s producing a documentary about sewage or investigating a Nazi gold scandal, it’s the novelty and adrenaline that keep her in this challenging industry. Send her tips at lschertzer@postmedia.com.
lschertzer@postmedia.com
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