Press Release

ONTARIO TRANSIT SYSTEMS TO FORD GOVERNMENT: THANK YOU

Toronto—The Ontario Public Transit Association thanked the Ford government for its continued support to address costs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. These funds help municipalities cover revenue losses, operating expenses, and provincial transit priority projects. Public transit systems in Ontario will receive $505 million in additional funds announced in today’s Safe Restart Agreement (Phase 4).

More than a million Ontarians take public transit every day. Ridership has steadily increased month over month for the last 18 months across Canada, but without this ongoing support, budgetary shortfalls and inflationary pressures would likely lead to service cuts that could slow ridership return and farebox recovery.

“Public transit systems and their riders thank Premier Ford and Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney for their ongoing support,” said Kelly Paleczny, chair of OPTA. “The announcement of additional funds will allow Ontario transit systems to maintain the capacity to assure workers, students, seniors, and people living with disabilities get where they need to go.”

Over one hundred municipal transit systems across Ontario, are better off after today’s announcement. We call on municipal, provincial, and federal leaders to work together in 2023 to make sure that transit levels are maintained so that public transit is available to those who need it most.