441-00728 (Transportation)

Since 2015, the Government of Canada has made the most significant public transit investments in Canada’s history with over 10 times the federal investments made in the decade prior. Over $30 billion has been allocated to public transit through Infrastructure Canada’s programs.

In February 2021, the Government of Canada announced new funding of $14.9 billion for public transit and active transportation over the next eight years, which builds on previous investments and includes permanent funding of $3 billion per year for Canadian communities beginning in 2026-27.

As noted in that announcement, permanent funding will provide communities the predictable transit funding they need to plan for the future. In addition, the first 5 years of the funding includes $2.75 billion for the Zero Emission Transit Fund to support the transition to zero-emission in public transit and school bus fleets.

Investments in public transit and active transportation are critical to build a prosperous, inclusive, and sustainable Canada, helping to improve quality of life by enabling people to get around more easily and to tackle traffic congestion, pollution, and greenhouse gas emissions. They are also closely connected to housing affordability, providing opportunities to build more housing supply by allowing communities to build more densely.

Permanent federal funding for public transit presents an opportunity to work with provinces, territories, municipalities, transit agencies, and Indigenous peoples to align investment priorities and address shared objectives, including driving economic, environmental and social outcomes, and improving housing supply and affordability in communities of all sizes across Canada.

It will provide the stability required for long-term planning and collaboration across orders of government, and ensure appropriate flexibility for regional needs and considerations. Reporting to Canadians will provide a clear picture of the impact of these investments and support accountability. The Government recently concluded engagement on the federal vision for permanent public transit funding from July 29 to October 14, 2022. A PDF version of the associated Public engagement on permanent public transit funding in Canada is available online and a What We Heard report will be shared by Winter 2023.