OC Transpo General Manager Renée Amilcar says Canada’s largest transit networks are facing sizable operating deficits and a gap in federal funding at a critical time in their evolution.
“This is right at a time when transit systems should be preparing for growth,” Amilcar told a policy forum Tuesday at the Fairmont Château Laurier.The forum was hosted by the Canadian Urban Transit Association, which describes itself the “voice of public transit” in Canada.
But although public transit holds the solution to many urban problems, Amilcar said, it faces unprecedented headwinds, including labour shortages, cost inflation and funding issues.Article content It’s not yet known how much of the new federal money will flow to OC Transpo, which faces a financial crisis fuelled by declining ridership and rising costs.Article contentAmilcar’s plea for more federal transit money came one day after Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe made a similar overture to senior levels of government. He told city council Monday that Ottawa “simply must” receive more funding for its struggling public transit system.
It means previous revenue projections for OC Transpo are now wildly inaccurate. Annual fare revenues are $100 million below projections, which would translate into a $3.7 billion shortfall over the next 25 years if current trends persist. “I am eternally optimistic about the industry’s future,” she said, “but we must make sure that funding and finance are top of the agenda, and that we continue to build trust in transit beyond the pandemic.”
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