Putting Canada on Track: A Blueprint for a National Transit Framework

Produced by the Mowat Centre at the School of Public Policy and Governance, University of Toronto.Efficient public transit is crucial to the success of large city regions. And successful large city regions are lynchpins of a vibrant national economy in a globalized world. These facts are widely accepted. Most countries have adjusted their public policies accordingly. Canada’s large cities, however, suffer from a lack of public transit infrastructure when compared to their international peers. The reason is threefold. First, Canadian municipalities do not have the revenues to expand and maintain their transit systems. Second, there has historically been insufficient financial support from other levels of government, particularly from the federal government. And finally, progress is hampered by poor governance and intergovernmental coordination. Canada is the only G7 economy that does not provide predictable, dedicated funding for municipal transit systems. This paper joins the chorus calling for a national policy framework for public transit. However, it also poses a few simple questions: What are the parameters of a national transit framework? How should federal transit funding be allocated? The paper examines the implications of a sustained federal investment for decision-making and governance. How do we ensure that projects can be identified, planned, funded, and implemented without undue delay arising from too many levels of government and veto points