Discussions of public transit in Manitoba are often confined to the few cities in the province that run such networks. But that doesn’t mean public transit isn’t important to communities and cities throughout the province.
This October, the government of Manitoba is voting to end legislation that guarantees funding for municipal transit agencies in any Manitoba community that chooses to operate a transit service. This guarantee was put in place to incentivize the creation of transit services throughout Manitoba and if the guarantee is kept, it is available to any Manitoba community.
Over 65 per cent of Manitobans live in communities with a public transit network. Properly funded transit is an efficient way to move these individuals and families around communities and it is beneficial to all Manitobans. The more people ride the bus, the lower the wear on our infrastructure, the less congested our urban streets and the lower our carbon footprint. Further, public transit provides mobility to those who are unable to use other modes of transportation.
Most importantly, this funding guarantee helps municipalities without transit networks create one and those that already have one improve it.
Public transit makes government more efficient by reducing infrastructure congestion costs. One bus can carry as many people as 40 cars. That means less roadway damage, overall fewer lanes to maintain and speedier rush hour traffic. Roads are expensive to build -- the more people ride the bus the longer we can make roads last and the fewer lanes we have to build. Because the province supports infrastructure in Manitoba cities and communities, infrastructure savings in any community is savings for all of Manitoba.
Public transit provides mobility to those who lack access to other modes of transportation for financial or other reasons. Connecting individuals and families to grocery stores, daycares, medical centres and other critical destinations is one of the most important things transit does. Additionally, public transit can play a key role in connecting individuals with employment opportunities helping individuals and reducing the public costs associated with high unemployment.
Those with access to public transit can help reduce our overall carbon footprint. While in many parts of the province, Manitobans do need to rely on private automobiles, those who can take public transit can help do double-duty in reducing the environmental impact of transportation in this province.
Additionally, by supporting public transit in larger centres like Winnipeg and Brandon, we may be able to kickstart our moribund inter-city transit network. By creating a larger transit market in large and medium-sized communities, we could hit that critical mass of riders needed to create a profitable intercity transit network in Manitoba once again. The transportation savings for families with kids attending university in Winnipeg, Brandon or The Pas and needing to get back home to Morden, Swan River or Beausejour could be huge.
Finally, the provincial transit funding guarantee is currently available to all municipalities. With this legislation in place the province will split the government contribution to transit with any municipality that chooses to run one. Cities like Brandon, Flin Flon, Selkirk and Winnipeg can take advantage of this funding to improve their networks. Growing cities like Steinbach and Winkler could see major benefits from using this funding to help establish their own transit networks. Having this provincial incentive program creates a great opportunity for any town or city to establish a network that makes transportation more affordable for its citizens.
Bill 36 will end funding guarantees for municipal transit. It will make running efficient transportation networks more difficult and make it more difficult for Manitoba cities and communities to establish transit networks.
With the growth we have seen in communities around the province, now would be the worst time to step away from more affordable transportation for all Manitobans. We should be going the opposite direction – finding ways to improve or create transit networks in some of our fastest growing municipalities.
Public transit networks in the province serve over 65 per cent of Manitoba’s population. By maintaining the provincial funding guarantee, we are maintaining our commitment to efficient, affordable and environmentally friendly transportation. We are also preserving the ability for transit networks sprout up in cities and communities around Manitoba.
It is critical that the vote in the provincial legislature this October does not remove funding guarantees for public transit.
Joseph Kornelsen is the chair of Functional Transit Winnipeg.
