DOES CHAMPAGNE TASTE ON A BEER BUDGET APPLY TO ETS?

Edmonton councillors past and present have grandiose plans for Edmonton Transit but ridership has increasingly fallen short of generating the revenues needed to pay for those grandiose plans. The goal was to have Edmontonians take 50 per cent of all trips by transit or active transportation but ridership decrease to 12% according to the 2021 census. Because of the lack of fund$ ETS is about 260,000 annual service hours short of meeting the city’s transit service standards.

To keep the current levels the city would need $250 million for operating and capital budgets combined. To increase service hours to the city's service standards the city would need $874 million total in operating and capital budgets combined.

To raise that amount the city proposes an annual tax increase and fare increases.

No mention is made to putting a halt to further LRT expansion until current projects are complete and paid for.

#ETS,