Federal-provincial boost for transit funding on the way
Lethbridge city council is thrilled to receive transit funding from the provincial government.
Earlier this month, the government announced financial support for transit systems hit hard by the pandemic.
The province is committing $79.5 million, which will be matched by Ottawa, to support 26 Alberta communities. That total of $150 million will be provided under a new program the province calls Alberta Relief for Shortfalls for Transit Operators, or RESTOR for short.
Deputy mayor Jenn SchmidtRempel said in a statement on Thursday “Lethbridge City Council is thrilled to be approved for $1,234,883.55 of federal and provincial Transit funding under the RESTOR program.
“Council is in the process of reviewing our cityLINK system and we know how important public transit is for our community. We look forward to exploring the possible options. The timing of this one-time funding will be beneficial to help further address some of the issues our riders are concerned about.”
Premier Jason Kenney said in a release that “transit systems took a financial beating during the pandemic with a significant loss in ridership as people worked from home and businesses cut back on staff or completely shut down. This funding will keep buses and trains moving to meet increased demand as we recover from the pandemic.”
Minister of Transportation Rajan Sawhney said public transit is an essential service, especially for students returning to on-campus learning as well as seniors and others who need transit getting to work or social activities.
“Public transit connects our communities and people, helping them get to where they need to be – whether it is to visit loved ones, to access essential services or to get home after a hard day at work. This investment helps strengthen our public transit as demand post-pandemic picks up, while helping to make life more affordable for Albertans,” said Randy Boissonnault, federal Minister of Tourism and Associate Minister of Finance.
Medicine Hat will get $627,653 in funding from the program. Calgary and Edmonton will get the bulk of the money, $82,364,776 and $66,968,451 respectively.