Canadian cities to receive large sums for public transport
Federal authorities hope to improve the quality, safety and environmental friendliness of the municipal transport system.
The federal government has promised cities billions of Canadian dollars for projects to improve public transit systems. But most of the funding won't start flowing until later this decade.
Yesterday, February 10, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau held an online meeting with the mayors of major Canadian cities, many of whom are literally making ends meet because of the pandemic.
"The investments will help support major public transportation projects, such as the expansion of the subway or the purchase of electric buses," Trudeau said. — They will also help meet the growing demand for pedestrian and bicycle lanes, and rural and remote cities will have the opportunity to pursue their projects to address citizens' mobility needs."
The premier has promised funding of $14.9 billion CAD. Chantal Auberton, a spokesperson for Infrastructure Minister Catherine McKenna, said the money will not be distributed among provinces, but will be placed in a common fund that any municipality willing to implement its project will have access to.
According to Trudeau, the fund will receive $6 billion CAD as soon as any project is ready to launch, with another $3 billion coming in each year. Then, starting in 2026-27, that money could be split among projects.
In fact, it's not yet clear what the future needs of cities will be, because right now mayors are watching the pandemic, and when it's over, they still need to analyze the extent to which remote work has replaced people's trips to offices. Trudeau admits there is some uncertainty, but still assumes the need for public transportation will grow, especially as governments at all levels try to curb greenhouse gas emissions.
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