I’m not looking
forward to several more years of chronic transit funding problems.
60 TTC routes are at or near overcrowding levels during peak
periods. Riders in Toronto and Mississauga risk being left at stops
as full vehicles pass by, whether on the surface or in the subway.
We’re used to overcrowding, and it may not be a true crisis -- but
with no significant expansion planned, we can address this challenge
now or wait for money to somehow appear.
GTA
municipalities have to fund not only a backlog of maintenance and
vehicle replacement, but we need many more buses, streetcars and
trains if there is to be hope of staying ahead of gridlock. During
the recent election, the Conservatives promised to honour all the
previous government’s transport funding programs.
The Tories
vowed to reform the way provinces and Ottawa divide revenues, which
might give cities a bigger piece of the pie. Since the Ontario
government is itself short of funds, I’m not sure a new arrangement
will ever provide the hundreds more buses we need now.
Since Canada’s
biggest cities did not elect many Conservatives to Parliament, will
York Region, Mississauga or Toronto see new bus or light rail lanes
in the foreseeable future?
The
Conservatives also pledged to drop the GST from 7% to 6% right away,
and eventually to 5%. Although hampered by minority status, the
incoming government may go ahead with the rollback.
Perhaps it’s
too simple to actually work, but why not give cities the difference
in revenue? Residents of Toronto and nearby ridings preferred not to
vote Tory for various reasons, and the GST pledge may not have been
a persuasive issue.
Is it possible
we in the GTA can tolerate paying one penny per dollar of goods and
services transactions if it goes to transport infrastructure? Why
not ask local voters in a referendum whether the GST rollback should
be applied to our transit and road network?
The next
municipal election is in November. I’m neither a politician, civil
servant nor accountant -- and yet it seems feasible to put it to
voters this year. If a majority of voters in a city or region
approve, then one percentage point from the sales tax could be
dedicated to transport costs within that municipality.
The idea is not
new -- nor would it be without flaws or opponents -- but now might
be the best time to achieve a breakthrough in the TTC’s perennial
“cash crunch”. Opinion polls have indicated Torontonians will
support paying more for our aging transportation system -- although
many are against road tolls. Since we are used to the current amount
of sales tax, citizens in greater Toronto may be willing to forgo
the rollback from 7% GST.
Local voters in
the US regularly approve portions of sales tax for transit projects.
Things work differently here, but it’s worth noting that many light
rail and rapid bus lines are being expanded south of the border. Why
not here too?