Canada remains as the only OECD nation without a federal policy that ensures long-term, predictable transit investment.
With 61% of all operating costs for Canadian transit coming from passengers in the form of fares, Canada is severely lagging behind in terms of what their governments are contributing:
A substantial gap in government funding for Canadian transit when compared to other countries
According to the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA), between 2006 and 2010, there was a $20.7 billion national transit infrastructure deficit when it comes to fulfilling the basic requirements according to population.
These are compelling figures, giving Metro Vancouver’s mayors plenty of fodder for the upcoming federal election campaign. Here are five strategies that the Mayors should consider to not only engage the public, but also to secure firm commitments from the leaders of the two main federal parties.
1) Make the business case - Increased labour mobility, less traffic congestion, accessibility equating to increased values for residential and commercial land values, and the fact that higher transit ridership correlates to greater overall economic success and a higher standard of living in the host cities are all a part of making a dollars and cents (sense) argument.
With over 80 per cent of Canadians living cities, municipalities are the economic engines of the Canadian economy, creating jobs, attracting investment, and spurring economic activity through tourism dollars. Transit investment is a part of making Canadian cities globally competitive.
2) Stand united…FORCEFULLY - Mayors rarely enter the realm of a federal election in any kind of significant fashion. Outside of former Mayor Larry Campbell’s “barbarians at the gate” comments in 2004 (a down payment on a future Senate appointment), it is hard to pinpoint a concerted effort by Mayors to enter the fray of the debate.
With the country still the the midst of an economic recession, and a significant majority of cities still waiting for infrastructure stimulus funds to flow downward, now is as good a time as any for the big city mayors to stagger press conferences across the 36-day writ period and come out swinging on their top transportation asks. It is no longer good enough to float ideas – now is the time to make a case for solid, tangible projects waiting for a federal partner.
3) Stress the importance of access to India & China - This might be more applicable for British Columbia, where the epitome of the Asia Pacific Gateway strategy lies. However, for those who have seen Michael Ignatieff mention India and China trade in the just-released Liberal ad, Canada’s future trading relationships with the two fastest growing economies in the world are going to be a key point of attack on the government.
Similarly, the Conservatives will defend their Asia Pacific Gateway investments, and also stress the importance of opening up new markets. The country’s transportation infrastructure is a key component of Canada’s trading attractiveness to both China and India (as an example, Prince Rupert is the closest major North American port to Asia and can offer can offer cargo transit times to Chicago from Asian centres up to 60 hours faster than California ports). Any cities that serve as hubs along this supply route must make the case for transportation investments that they are currently lacking, or lose out on a window of opportunity for what is sure to be a major policy focus of the upcoming campaign.
4) Use municipal taxpayers as leverage – Translink’s latest demands have come out of nowhere for many people, the prospect of increases in the fuel tax and parking sales tax, transit fares, a potential vehicle levy, and most frighteningly for homeowners, a rise in property taxes, are all tools that can be used to demonstrate that the federal government needs to play more of a role in funding municipal transportation infrastructure.
Regardless of whether Translink is off-base with its threats, or whether administrative costs can truly lead to substantial savings within the organization – the $450 million request, or $260 million just to maintain current service levels – is a strategic opportunity that cannot be wasted.
As stated by Surrey Mayor Diane Watts, “We have another million people moving into the Lower Mainland in the next couple of decades. We can’t go backwards.”
5) Play parties against each other, and don’t be afraid to make recommendations – This might be the most toxic and risky of the strategies, but it is also one that can carries a huge amount of political influence. A recommendation does not have to be for any one particular party, but rather for the leader and the platform that takes the most notice of municipal considerations and the plight of Canadaian municipalities.
Giving people a window into how their cities would benefit (rolling out the specific projects, city by city) and providing citizens with an idea of what is possible when all three levels of government cooperate, is a tangible tactic that will be taken notice of. It will also force local candidates to talk specifics instead of using broad generalizations.
So those are just a few of the suggestions I would give to municipal Mayors for what is sure to be a lacklustre federal campaign. But amidst cynicism, apathy and frustration lies a perfect storm for municipalities looking to make collective waves.
