Moving people from place to place is key issue when it comes to transit. The Federal Government has planned significant investments in transit as part of supporting alternative ways to get people from place to place

1. PRESENTER
PAUL YOUNG CPA CGA
JULY 8, 2017
Government Policies – Transit –
Canada – July 2017

2.  Large Urban Transit / Monthly Trends
 Large Urban Transit / Annual Trends
 Income tax Impact
Agenda

3.  Stats Canada
Large Urban Transit Stats

4.  Stats Canada
Large Urban Transit – Ridership (Express in millions)
• Transit Ridership was growing each year
since 2015
• All groups of people are benefiting from
the transit cut

5.  Stats Canada
Household Spending

6. Tax Impact

7. Source -
https://www.ttc.ca/PDF/About_the_TTC/Annual_Reports/TTC_2015AnnualReport_AODA_FIN
AL-s.pdf
TTC / Subsidies

8. Liberal Government / Quotes
Finance Minister Bill Morneau says it didn’t boost ridership enough and cost
Ottawa too much. Toronto Star – March 24, 2017
• Ridership is up 59 million since 2011
• Average monthly transit passes cost about $450/month
• 16% of household budgets are related to transportation
• Eliminating the non-refundable tax credit is just another tax
increase for the middle class

9.  https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/federalbudget/2017/03/22/transit-users-lose-tax-break-on-monthly-passes-in-federal-budget.html
Comment/Transit Tax Credit
Colle said the agency doesn’t have statistics on how many people were making use of the rebate,
so it’s not clear what effect it will have on transit usage. But because adult Metropass holders
account for almost half of all trips on the TTC, it’s something Colle said he’ll be watching closely.
“It’s something we definitely need to understand. We don’t want to have people not buying
Metropasses . . . that’s our main revenue source,” he said.
“If this was in fact supporting ridership growth and transit use, then we of course would want it
to stay.”
This year, Metropasses cost $146.25, which works out to a discount of $21.94 for one pass, or
$263.25 for a year’s worth.
Toronto Star – March 22, 2017

10.  http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2017/03/26/public-transit-tax-credit-never-did-much-good
Transit Tax Credit
"As a strategy for reducing car traffic, changing public behavior to promote increased mode-share
for public transit and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, we find that the policy is
expensive and considerably less cost-effective than potential alternatives," it found. To get people
to drive less, we should charge road tolls, that study says, because there's proof those work.
A different study used ridership figures and monthly pass sales to conclude the effect on transit
ridership was nil. It also found people making $90,000 a year or more got a bigger share of the tax
benefits than people making $25,000 to $30,000. To get the maximum benefit, you have to take
transit every day, buy a $100 pass to do it and be in the top tax bracket.
Comment
• Many buses and trains ran on diesel which means emissions would not like come down
• The tax credit was not entirely design to help the environment, but also to put money back into people’s pocket
• Large urban continue to expand transit systems as part moving people around their cities
• More and more people are forced to commute longer distance due to both cost and shortage of adequate housing
• Road tolls are not the answer

11.  http://www.canadianmanufacturing.com/manufacturing/caisse-de-depot-hoping-
bombardier-metrolinx-can-settle-differences-186322/
 This is the same Trust Company that is investing in Montreal Transit
http://business.financialpost.com/news/transportation/caisse-de-depot-to-invest-3-
billion-in-new-montreal-public-transit-rail-network

Pension Funds/Transit

12.  http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2017/03/26/public-transit-tax-credit-never-did-much-good
 Key quote ""As a strategy for reducing car traffic, changing public behavior to promote increased mode-share for public transit
and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases, we find that the policy is expensive and considerably less cost-effective than
potential alternatives," it found. To get people to drive less, we should charge road tolls, that study says, because there's proof
those work.
 1. People have to drive to locations to take subways and/or mass transit like go transit
 2. On average 15% of a household budget is dedicated to transportation
 3. It was tax credit which meant that people with more income would benefited from the tax credit
 4. If you want to help the poor then government should have considered a GST type of rebate for transit.
 5. Fleets of transit vehicles are moving to more environmentally friendly vehicles. The process to convert takes time as such
the impact on the environment would be difficult to measures
 6. This is just another tax grab design to keep more government money
 7. Government should take transit to look at who is using transit and not make assumptions.
 8. Tax credit helps millennials, especially those ones that like to use public transit. More and more millennials are living in
downtown core areas as such are more likely taking transit to get around the cit
 9. How can you truly look at emissions if you do not look at all aspect of emissions?
 10. Air quality has improved in Canada due to many factors like less manufacturing, better scrubbing, better emission control
systems in cars, etc.