Federal budget will put LRT on track: Sohi
Edmonton should receive enough money under the new federal budget to build the west LRT line and do other work, federal Infrastructure Minister Amarjeet Sohi said Thursday.
The budget, which projects a $28.5-billion deficit in 2017-18, includes $20.1 billion over 11 years for public transit infrastructure across Canada.
While Sohi won’t estimate how much this will mean for Edmonton until detailed calculations are completed, he told reporters it will be “significantly more” than the $496 million suggested by one interviewer.
“I’m very confident there will be enough support for Edmonton to expand the west LRT and do additional work,” he said following a speech to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. “LRT is very important to Edmontonians, and that’s why our government is so proud to support the advancing of it through Budget 2017.”
Mayor Don Iveson has said the expected cash should be enough to fund LRT lines planned from downtown to Lewis Farms and into Blatchford, although the money must be matched by the province to ensure the projects don’t create an unfair burden for local ratepayers.
The budget also eliminates the tax credit for monthly transit passes. Although Sohi said public transit is critically important for urban areas, he said evidence suggests the credit doesn’t increase ridership and is only used by a small proportion of riders.
The money is better used making transit systems larger and more efficient, he said.
Chamber president Janet Riopel called for a long-term plan to wipe out the deficit, but supported the focus on construction of roads, pipelines, rail and other infrastructure, as well as investments in innovation and training.
She’d like to see “super clusters” of Edmonton businesses created in the biosciences, health and agrifoods industries that would attract talent and investment to the city.
“The economic downturn has fundamentally changed, as we know, Alberta’s economy, and many jobs within the oil and gas sector, they’re not going to return.”