Investing in Municipal Transit
$150 million investment will help municipal transit systems address the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
Recognizing the ongoing impact COVID-19 is having on transit systems and ridership, our PC government is providing $150 million in additional funding to help municipal transit systems address financial impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This funding is in addition to the $2 billion previously committed by Ontario and the federal government through the Safe Restart Agreement to help municipalities continue to deliver critical transit services.
“We heard from municipalities and we are responding to their need for more support as COVID-19 continues to result in lost revenue and additional costs for transit systems,” said Caroline Mulroney, MPP for York-Simcoe and Minister of Transportation. “Transit operators have done an incredible job keeping transit operating during this challenging time, and this support will help ensure there is reliable transportation for people to get to work or pick up essential items.”
The additional $150 million in provincial funding means that there is a total of $650 million available to municipalities for ongoing COVID-19 related expenses up to December 31, 2021, with extensions to December 2022 granted on a case-by-case basis.
The Safe Restart Agreement will help ensure municipalities will have the support and flexibility they need to address budget shortfalls related to COVID-19, help limit the spread of the virus, and chart a path to a strong recovery for their communities.
Our PC government is continuing to engage with municipalities, the Ontario Public Transit Association (OPTA) and the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) to seek input on the impact of COVID on municipal transit systems, which will help inform any future decisions on how the province can support municipal transit in Ontario.