Alberta reverses decision on low-income transit passes after criticism from mayors, advocates

Alberta is walking back its decision to pull funding for low-income transit passes in Calgary and Edmonton after a flurry of negative comments from the cities’ mayors and advocates.

The decision comes after conversations between the Alberta government and the province’s two largest cities, Minister of Seniors, Community, and Social Services Jason Nixon said in a statement Wednesday.

“It is clear that the cities are not able to pay for their full programs at this time,” Nixon said. “As a result, Alberta’s government will continue to extend this funding to the cities and work with them to ensure their low-income transit program continues to be funded in the future.”

Nixon added the province gives direct transit subsidies to those on income support and Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) across the province, including in Calgary and Edmonton.

Following Wednesday’s announcement, Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi said he appreciated the province was “reinstating funding at last year’s level.”

“The City of Edmonton is proud to support this program, even though it is an example of Alberta’s big cities stepping in to fund support programs for low income Albertans that fall under provincial jurisdiction,” Sohi said in a statement.

“We all need to work more collaboratively to ensure that essential services provided to our most vulnerable residents are protected and sustainable for those accessing them today and the increased pressures that our affordability crisis offers for the future.”

‘An absolute cruelty’

On Tuesday Alberta said it would be cutting funding for low income transit passes in Calgary and Edmonton, drawing swift reaction and criticism.

Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek called the move an “insult to the lowest income Calgarians,” adding she was “appalled.”

“This is an absolute cruelty to low income Calgarians who absolutely need this funding to be able to get through their lives,” she told reporters.

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READ MORE: ‘I am appalled’: Alberta to cut funding for low income transit passes

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Edmonton’s mayor was in agreement, saying the decision would make life more expensive for some 25,000 of his city’s residents every month, including students and seniors.

Meaghon Reid with Vibrant Communities Calgary said some Albertans would be forced to make difficult decisions.

“Potentially not be able to get to work, not pay their rent, not pay their electricity bill,” she said.

NDP Transportation Critic Lorne Dach said in a statement municipalities have been faced with provincial budget cuts for years.

“Yesterday’s decision by the UCP to pull funding from the Calgary and Edmonton low-income transit subsidy program was extremely cruel and Albertans were rightfully outraged by this decision,” he said. “Many low-income Albertans rely on these programs to get to work, get groceries, and get to appointments.

“To threaten the cancellation of this program during an affordability crisis shows out out-of-touch the Smith government is with Albertans.”

About 139,000 low income passes were distributed in Calgary from January to March of this year, according to numbers from the city — a 27 per cent increase from the same time last year.

Prices for low income passes are determined by an individuals income, and range from $5.80 a month to around $57 a month. A regular monthly transit pass for an adult in Calgary is $115.

City council voted unanimously late Tuesday to request that the province decrease the amount of city tax dollars they take every year by $6.2 million to cover the province’s funding share of the low income transit pass program.

-With files from Tiffany Goodwein