My Alerts 
The STM takes note of the 2024-2025 federal budget and its lack of new measures to tackle the major challenges faced by the largest transit authorities in the country.
The Société de transport de Montréal (STM) takes note of the 2024-2025 federal budget published yesterday. Unfortunately, this budget doesn’t include any new measures to tackle the major challenges faced by the largest transit authorities in the country. This situation is deeply concerning because the federal government offers numerous measures to support the need for housing.
"Without public transit infrastructure in good condition to support demographic growth and accelerated housing construction, the affordability crisis risks increasing traffic congestion and mobility crisis in our major cities. Public transit is an essential infrastructure for housing. We are disappointed that the federal government has not taken steps to ensure it can support its ambitious housing objectives," said Éric Alan Caldwell, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the STM.
On March 19, the three transit operators STM, TTC, and Translink, responsible for ensuring mobility in the country's three main metropolitan areas, launched an urgent call to action to the Canadian government asking to bring forward the implementation of the Permanent Transit Fund to 2024, rather than 2026. This request has been shown as a necessity to ensure the advancement of essential projects and support long-term capital planning.
"Operating 60% of the country's public transit ridership, the companies also asked the government to double the Canada Community-Building Fund. This request aimed to increase federal funding for infrastructure, since the STM's and TTC's asset maintenance needs alone exceed the sums available in the new permanent fund," added STM General Manager Marie-Claude Léonard.
The STM will continue to work closely with its partners at the various levels of government to find solutions to the major challenges of funding public transit.
