[Doady]

Mississauga gets $15 million in gas tax funding for transit from the province each year, compared real cities like Hamilton and London, which only get $11 million and $9 million respectively.

Instead of subsidizing sprawl and car dependence, wouldnt it make more sense, to fund transit in places that can actually support it?

What's the point of throwing money away on service nobody will use?

Not to mention, subsidizing sprawl go against the province's Places of Grow plan, aimed stopping sprawl.

Think about the $7+ million in cuts to off-peak service that the TTC is considering. Mississauga's $15 million would not only allow the TTC cancel the cuts, but add even more service.

And this is not even considering GO Transit, which mostly only people in the suburbs use, and is completely subsidized by the Ontario government. That's another $100 million annually, that could be spread between real systems like TTC, HSR, OC Transpo, LTC...

[vid]

Transit funding from the gas tax is based on passenger numbers, not the transit agency's actual need. Funding transit only in places that can support it means places that can't support it don't even get the start of a transit system, and become more car dependent, not less.

A regional commuter system is going to be needed in the GTA whether the province funds it or not. I think it would be better for public transit in the GTA to be folded into a single agency responsible for all modes of transit in the area.

[matt602]

How in the world is public transit funding in the suburbs subsidizing sprawl? If anything more money needs to be focused into transit in the suburbs so that people can leave the cars at home.

I agree that the big cities should get a bigger slice of the pie, but taking away from transit in the suburbs isn't right. Transit in ALL places should get a bigger slice, and it should come from things such as highway and road construction. Those are the things that are subsidizing sprawl.

Mississauga Transit is actually a very efficient and highly used system, definitely deserving of whatever sort of funding a "big city" should get, regardless of it's suburban look.

And while it is true that most GO users are suburban-types... that's kind of the point of the entire system. It was designed to link the different municipalities in the GTA+Hamilton+Niagara area.

[Cambridgite]

Transit in ALL places should get a bigger slice, and it should come from things such as highway and road construction. Those are the things that are subsidizing sprawl.

Bingo. You're spot on.