February 21st, 2017

NDP calls on Premier Wynne to restore direct provincial funding for TTC

On the first day of the new legislative session, Peter Tabuns, MPP for Toronto-Danforth, called on the Wynne government to improve transit service by restoring provincial funding for 50 per cent of transit operations.

“Under the province’s traditional 50-50 funding formula, the TTC and Wheel-Trans would have received about $345 million in direct provincial funding, based on the budget passed last week,” Tabuns said.  “With this level of provincial funding, the TTC would be able to improve service, boost ridership and give Torontonians more reason to leave the car at home.

“Will the Premier restore direct provincial funding for transit operations, as the NDP has proposed?”

Provincial funding for transit operations would also allow for fare integration across the region, but without charging higher fares to riders in places like Scarborough or Etobicoke, who depend on transit the most, as Metrolinx plans to do.

Tabuns said during the Bill Davis government, the provincial government directly paid 50 per cent of the TTC’s net operating costs.

“The Davis funding formula helped make the TTC the envy of the world,” Tabuns said.  “The Progressive Conservative government cut this direct funding in 1998, and it has stayed cut under the Liberal government. Instead, this government has offered indirect gas tax funding, at a fraction of former funding levels.”

“Will the Premier help make the TTC the envy of the world again, and restore direct funding for TTC operations?