Statement by CivicAction Re: Transit Investment Panel Report

TORONTO, Dec. 12, 2013 /CNW/ - In response to the report by the Ontario Transit Investment Strategy Advisory Panel chaired by Anne Golden, CivicAction issued the following statement:

"We are encouraged that the Advisory Panel has recommended criteria to guide decision-making about transportation projects and to minimize politicking around what projects get built where.

The Panel has made a reasonable effort to propose a range of new sources to fund the next wave of Big Move regional transportation projects so that it's not about one group or municipality paying or benefiting over another, it's about benefiting the region and all its residents as a whole.

The idea of a 'kick-start' program is a good one, where money would be raised and spent early on to demonstrate how investment can make a clear difference in the way people and goods get around.

Now it's time for action by the Province and opposition parties
We commend the Panel for recommending options that are actionable and laying out a path to make sustainable investment a reality.

We now look to the Premier and leaders of the opposition parties to arrive at a resolution on how to fund a regional transportation network in a way that respects and does not misspend residents' hard-earned dollars.

We urge and expect the Province to introduce new funding measures for transportation in the spring 2014 provincial budget. Opposition parties also need to be ready to say what measures they will support to deliver to us the quality of life and jobs that flow from transportation investment.

Elected officials at all levels have a role to play in delivering this call to action and ensuring that our region gets moving.

CivicAction has engaged residents and elected officials across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) to show support for investment in a better transportation network by signing its Your32 Pledge to Get a Move On. More than a third (141) of elected officials across the GTHA have joined 6000+ residents in committing to the pledge, which calls for investment that is dedicated, efficient, transparent & accountable, regional, fair and sustainable.

It's time to see elected officials act on the CivicAction pledge to get on with funding a better transportation network and to safeguard the prosperity and development of this region and its residents - now and for generations to come."

About CivicAction's Your32 campaign
CivicAction and its 55+ team of civic Champions and Regional Co-Captains have engaged more than one million residents in their campaign to build support for a better regional transportation system and the need for new sustainable ways to pay for it. For more information, visit www.your32.com.

The 141 politicians who have signed CivicAction's Your32 Pledge to Get a Move On include the Premier, the Ministers of Finance and Transportation, provincial NDP critics for GTA Issues, Urban Transportation, and Finance, 16 mayors, two Regional Chairs, and Councillors, MPPs, and MPs from across the political spectrum.

About CivicAction
For the past 10 years, the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance (CivicAction) has brought together senior executives and rising leaders from all sectors to tackle some of our region's toughest social, economic, and environmental challenges. For more information, visit: www.civicaction.ca, @CivicActionGTA

SOURCE: CivicAction

Media Contacts: 
Julia Lo
CivicAction
[email protected]
416-309-4480 x500

Clancy Zeifman
CivicAction
[email protected]
416-309-4480 x505