Motkaluk promising four-year freeze on transit fares

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This article was published 22/10/2018 (2914 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jenny Motkaluk’s final campaign commitments include a four-year freeze on transit fares and a neighbourhood anti-litter initiative relying on volunteers.

Motkaluk’s campaign sent out a release late Sunday night promising the transit rate freeze.

Motkaluk blamed the 25-cent increase that went into effect on Jan. 1 this year as a “cash grab” by Mayor Brian Bowman. That would seem to ignore the provincial government’s surprise decision to end its 50-50 transit operations cost-sharing agreement with the city, leaving a $10-million shortfall.

Instead, Motkaluk focused on the 25-cent fare increase as a way to offset an expected $6.4-million revenue drop from a decrease in ridership.

“The mayor saw a $6-million budget shortfall due to reduced bus ridership and decided to further exacerbate the issue by dramatically hiking fares to shore up the loss,” Motkaluk said in a statement.

“That’s an appalling cash grab on the backs of transit riders. Then he tried to blame the reduced ridership on falling gas prices which is absolute nonsense. Brian Bowman compounded an already bad situation with an even worse decision. Instead of improving transit service and making buses safer he simply chose to grab more cash from riders. Unacceptable.”

Motkaluk has been Bowman’s chief rival in the 2018 municipal election campaign.

Bowman has promised to continue with the BRT expansion and is committed to a measured 12-20 buses per year conversion of vehicles to electric.

Voters head to the polls Wednesday.

The issue of falling gas prices had been cited by Bowman when he offered an explanation for a decline in transit ridership, arguing some riders reverted to using their vehicles when the price of gasoline appeared more reasonable.

Motkaluk also promised to stage annual cleanup initiatives, targeting two neighbourhoods every year with a daylong litter pickup relying on volunteers, neighbourhood organizations and businesses.

“It’s our city and the reality of who and what we are is often about the image we portray,” she said. “If we want to be a cleaner and greener city we have to roll up our sleeves and start by picking up the garbage and litter. It’s that simple.”

She committed to spending $90,000 annually for the anti-litter initiatives.

Motkaluk has focused much of her campaign on transit. She previously committed to cancelling the BRT program. She also promised to expand and electrify the transit fleet — replacing all 640 diesel buses with electric vehicles and adding 200 new electric buses — over a six-year period.

Electric buses cost about $300,000 more than diesel ($800,000 versus $500,000), including charging infrastructure. A 2017 analysis by University of Manitoba professor Nazim Cicek said the switch from diesel would mean annual savings on fuel and maintenance of $60,500 per bus.

Motkaluk said she would finance the changes from savings that come from dropping the need for diesel fuel and through increased ridership as a result of putting more buses on the street.

aldo.santin@freepress.mb.ca