The Liberals are setting apart $250 million over 5 years in a devoted fund for rural transit.
Federal infrastructure packages that assist construct or replace transit techniques have funded rural tasks, however McKenna notes they do not have a devoted funding stream.
McKenna says the federal government must make it possible for transit funding considers rural communities, and isn’t solely centered on the best way to get individuals round main city centres.
With extra sparsely populated areas and residents who could journey out of city for work or college, rural communities typically do not lend themselves to conventional mass-transit bus and subway techniques.
McKenna says there are some inventive transit options which have caught the federal government’s consideration, from app-based on-demand providers to ride-sharing preparations.
“There are examples of clear alternatives and I feel that we’ve got to be modern,” she mentioned in an interview.
“It is actually [about] taking a look at these alternatives, which will also be cost-effective, however present higher service.”
McKenna mentioned the consequences from the pandemic will imply that federal infrastructure {dollars} may also have to extra rapidly fund tasks to maintain rural communities aggressive.
“In a few of these communities, if you do not have good transit, it is an actual drawback,” she mentioned.
“I hear from mayors. They are saying it is a drawback to draw funding as a result of individuals need to go the place you may have good public transit, [where] you are in a position to get round.”
Liberals pledge $15B for transit over 8 years
The funding being introduced Monday is a part of $15 billion in deliberate transit spending over eight years, the main points of which the Liberals have rolled out over the previous few weeks.
The Liberals are promising billions in everlasting transit funding as a part of a post-pandemic restoration, together with $3 billion yearly in a transit fund beginning in 5 years.
There are expectations that the federal government will roll conventional infrastructure spending into its upcoming price range to assist with an financial restoration from COVID-19.
The Liberals have a $188-billion, 12-year infrastructure program, about half of which is funding created by the earlier Conservative authorities, that the federal government hoped would support in financial progress.
Final week, the federal auditor common warned that holes in reporting and delayed spending put the general program liable to falling in need of its targets.
“There’s extra we may be doing and I feel there are classes realized,” McKenna mentioned of the report. “Each taxpayer greenback has to get a number of outcomes, and that’s extra necessary than ever.”
