Canada just announced a $30B investment in public transit, the largest in Canadian history

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau introduced the Canada Public Transit Fund, a permanent program that will invest $3-billion per year in public transportation systems and projects across the country. The initial investment of $30-billion over the next 10 years makes this the largest public transit investment in Canadian history.

The Canada Public Transit fund has three streams of funding: baseline funding to maintain existing public transportation systems, targeted funding for projects focused on active transportation, rural and remote transit, transit in Indigenous communities and electrification, and metro-region agreements to support partnerships between provinces and their major cities, like Montreal. As Trudeau specified on social media, cities will get public transit funding if they “change their bylaws to unlock more apartments and homes near that transit.”

“Funding amounts will be based on merit, with the highest amounts of funding going to the most ambitious partnerships, including those that can best demonstrate how investments in transit will help build more homes.”

Here’s the deal: We’ve put money on the table to help cities build more public transit, with a catch.

To get that funding, cities have to change their by-laws to unlock more apartments and homes near that transit. pic.twitter.com/uZVSHoLEfz

— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) July 17, 2024

Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante reacted to the announcement, calling it “excellent news” for the city.

“We look forward to knowing the share that will be allocated to Montreal at a time when major projects connecting the greater metropolitan region are on the table.”

C’est une excellente nouvelle! Le gouvernement fédéral envoie un signal fort en faveur du développement des projets de transport collectif. Nous avons hâte de connaître la part qui sera attribuée à la métropole du Québec à l’heure où d’importants projets reliant la grande région…

— Valérie Plante (@Val_Plante) July 17, 2024

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