Advocacy on mass transit & CPTF
Mass transit is an important public service that helps countless students get to school and tens of thousands of workers get to their jobs every day. It also enables seniors to continue living in the community when driving is either inconvenient or no longer an option. Moreover, it helps reduce traffic congestion and road damage caused by excessive vehicle use.
Alberta Municipalities’ members have passed several resolutions in recent years related to increased funding for transit. In 2024, we asked the federal government to include compressed natural gas, hydrogen and clean diesel buses as vehicles that are eligible for federal emissions-reducing funding. In 2022, a resolution was passed that seeks operational transit funding for small to medium sized municipalities that operate transit services. In 2020, ABmunis advocated for permanent transit funding.
As part of our ongoing mass transit advocacy efforts, we participated in stakeholder engagement regarding the design of the Canada Public Transit Fund (CPTF). This fund, which is divided into two streams, provides funding for metro-region transit systems and targeted funding for transit in smaller municipalities.
Under the CPTF’s Rural Transit Solutions Fund, rural and remote communities can apply for planning and design support or capital funding for locally driven transit solutions that help residents get where they need to go. The Rural Transit Solutions Fund is accepting applications until March 4, 2025.
The CPTF’s Active Transportation Fund provides funding for planning and capital projects for projects like multi-use paths that move people without vehicles. The Active Transportation Fund is accepting applications until February 26, 2025.
We encourage members to check out both CPTF funding streams and apply if they have a project that meets the criteria.
