Toronto, ON – On the eve of a new provincial budget, a majority of residents in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) say they are more likely to vote for politicians who support new, dedicated dollars to get us moving. That’s the message CivicAction and a coalition of nearly two dozen business, labour, health, community, and environmental groups are delivering to Ontario MPPs and party leaders.
The group points to the results of an April Angus Reid Forum poll* showing that 87% of GTHA residents want to see transportation as a regional spending priority, and 83% said they would more likely support new taxes or fees if they were put into a dedicated fund for transportation.
Half of the GTHA’s elected officials – including more than 50% of MPPs across the three major political parties – have signed CivicAction’s “Get a Move On” pledge that calls for dedicated, efficient, and sustainable investment in our regional transportation priorities. They have been joined by thousands of GTHA residents (see the full list of politicians who have signed the CivicAction pledge).
CivicAction and its partners are looking to all of Ontario’s party leaders to be clear on how they will invest in the next wave of transportation improvements for the region – both in the spring budget and in their party platforms.
Quotes:
“We cannot pass the buck for our aging infrastructure to the next generation,” says Sevaun Palvetzian, CEO of CivicAction. “The need is there, the support is there, and it’s time for our provincial politicians to take the wheel to fund a better transportation network.”
“Our members throughout the region recognize that transportation has to be a priority for investment,” said Allan O’Dette, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. “Congestion is a big drag on our region’s competitiveness.”
“We need to invest in transit options that move people from point A to B, faster and in ways that reduce stress on the commuter and the amount of toxic pollutants in the air,” says Doris Grinspun, Chief Executive Officer of the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario (RNAO), adding “lower emissions and shorter commute times are vital to the health of our region and our residents.”
Quick Facts:
- 87% of residents agree public transit should be a regional spending priority.
- 60% of respondents said they would support an increase in taxes and fees to improve transportation infrastructure.
- 83% of residents would be more likely to support new revenue sources if they were put into a dedicated fund for transportation.
- 59% of residents said they would more likely support a political leader who proposed funding ideas to directly support transportation improvements in their community.
- 189 GTHA politicians from all major parties have signed CivicAction’s Your32 pledge to support new ways to fund a better transportation network.
*Survey conducted from April 4-7, 2014 with 1042 GTHA-resident members of the Angus Reid Forum. For more information go to www.movethegtha.com
21 organizations supporting today’s call for action:
Asthma Society of Canada, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment, Canadian Environmental Law Association, Clean Air Partnership, CodeRedTO, Cycle Toronto, David Suzuki Foundation, Environmental Defence, Evergreen CityWorks, the Greater Toronto CivicAction Alliance, Ontario Chamber of Commerce, The Pembina Institute, Pollution Probe, Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario, Toronto & York Region Labour Council, Toronto Atmospheric Fund, Toronto Centre for Active Transportation, Toronto Environmental Alliance, Toronto Public Health, Transport Action Ontario, TTCriders.
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About CivicAction’s Your32 campaign
CivicAction and its 50+ team of civic Champions and Regional Co-Captains have built support for a better regional transportation system and new sustainable ways to pay for it. For more information, visit www.your32.com.
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
About Move the GTHA
Move the GTHA is a group of organizations working together to build awareness and engagement in support of investment in our region’s transportation system. The group represents a diversity of constituents and perspectives – health, labour, business, policy, environment, and citizen advocacy. Specifically, Move the GTHA is advocating for long-term dedicated funding for an efficient, accessible, affordable, and fully integrated regional transportation system, with an accountable and an effective regional governance system.
