FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE: 2025 City Budget only exacerabtes transit, other crises faced by city says Budget Coalition
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE: Community forces Council to back down on discount fare increases
OTTAWA - The Ottawa Coalition for a People's budget, consisting of 15 groups and community organizations is calling today's vote on the transit budget a small victory on an otherwise severe austerity budget.
Council today passed a motion that significantly reduced original increases on discount passes including the 120% seniors monthly fare increase that was reduced to a still high but significantly lower 19% increase and also keep free Wednesdays and Sundays.
The U-Pass increase will also be delayed pending approval via student referendum. The City will also be considering extending the U-Pass to other post-secondary institutions.
The 5% overall fare increase, however, remains and will bring Ottawa's single cash fare to one of the highest in Canada at $4 a fare.
According to staff at today's meeting, freezing all fares would have only cost taxpayers $8.50 a year.
The transit budget passed 18-7.
“Councillors may have had their own backdoor negotiations but the only reason the transit budget included smaller increases is as a result of community pushback.” Said Sam Hersh, Coordinator for Horizon Ottawa. “Seniors, students and all residents including our own members came together to fight back against what they saw as an unjust fare increase. It's important to say though that residents still bear a significant burden despite this being a mess of the city's own making.”
The budget also included yet another police budget increase despite facing some opposition from councillors and residents who cited the uptick in police clamping down on protests. Some councillors also brought up how there could be some money used to fund traffic control measures that don't involve police.
Council also reneged on their commitment from last year when they doubled the housing budget to $30 million, an ask that was hard-fought by community members including Horizon Ottawa. This year's capital spending on affordable housing is only $22.9 million.
“The rest of the budget fails to address the multitude of crises we face especially when it comes to affordable housing when for every affordable unit that is built over 30 are lost.” said Hersh. “We need a budget that isn't just visionary but meets the current needs we have today - this budget, with its arbitrarily low tax rate, and low spending on essential needs does not do that and continues Sutcliffe's needless austerity.”
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For Media Inquiries:
Sam Hersh
613-663-7018
[email protected]
