Are We There Yet? is a progress report on the state of transit investment in the Greater Toronto & Hamilton Area. Prepared by transit advocacy coalition Move The GTHA with support from the Metcalf Foundation, it builds the case for a more unified and aligned approach to transit funding, one that stresses our commonalities over our differences and is supported by all levels of government.

KEY FIGURES: 

• To date, provincial, federal and municipal governments have committed a total of $39.3 billion in capital funding to build approximately 519 km of new rapid transit across the GTHA with $31 billion from the Province of Ontario; $1.9 billion from Municipal Governments; and $6.5 billion from the Federal Government.
• There is a capital funding gap of $28.8 billion to finish building the rapid transit projects in the Big Move.
• Money required to operate, maintain and rehabilitate this rapid transit system once it is built has not been planned for or set aside. These costs are estimated to reach $1.6 billion per year by 2022 – just six years from now, $3.8 billion per year by 2032 and $4.6 billion per year by 2042.
• Building transit is an excellent investment that helps Ontario to meet new Greenhouse Gas targets, build walkable, transit-focused communities with a mix of housing and proximity to jobs and amenities, and grow our economic centres.

KEY RECOMMENDATION: 

• It’s time for a Transit Summit. Move the GTHA calls for all levels of government and transit agencies to meet to identify a detailed, sustainable investment plan that identifies who will invest what to build the transit our growing region needs.