Transit advocates are talking about a report called “Putting Wheels on the Bus” published by the Environmental Defence and Équiterre that calls on all levels of government to support public transit.
The pathway to doubling public transit use by 2035
Public transit is an excellent use of public tax dollars – good quality transit helps everyone (even people who don’t ride transit).
Good transit provides freedom to those who can’t drive. Good transit allows low income residents to get to school and to work and to appointments.
Accessible transit, along with well maintained sidewalks and other infrastructure, provides independence to people with mobility challenges.
Good public transit allows people to leave their cars at home, thus contributing to the battle against climate change. It reduces traffic and pollution and competition for parking.
All in all, good, reliable, affordable, accessible public transit is something worth fighting for.
Federal government must step up transit funding to cut emissions
A useful quote from the article:
Municipalities are not allowed to borrow money for their operating budgets and are restricted in what taxes they can levy. This has led to reduced service and increased fares. This in turn leads to even lower ridership, which inevitably translates to more service cuts and fare increases – a vicious downward spiral.
The Environmental Defence and Équiterre is an environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.
The study discusses how Canada can double public transit ridership by 2035, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) by 65 million tons between 2024 and 2035; the equivalent of the annual emissions from 20 million cars.
Click to read the report, “Putting Wheels on the Bus”.
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