Ontario Gas Tax for Transit Program Review and the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund

The Ministry of Transportation is surveying municipal governments regarding the Ontario Gas Tax for Transit Program aimed at providing the Ministry with municipal perspectives on how well the Program is meeting its objectives of expanding and improving municipal transit. Municipal input is invited.

Municipal infrastructure funding programs from the provincial and federal governments are critical to the partnership between federal, provincial and municipal governments. These programs help to ensure that municipal governments large and small across Ontario can provide residents with affordable quality infrastructure to improve their lives every day.

Municipal infrastructure funding programs often have important interrelationships that build on one another and changes to one program could affect other programs beyond its scope. This is the case for the Ontario Gas Tax for Transit Program and the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund (OCIF), complementary funding programs that respond to discrete, but interrelated municipal transportation and other core infrastructure needs.

To help provide feedback to the MTO survey, AMO is providing a report, Ontario Dedicated Gas Tax Funds for Public Transportation Program Review and the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund, for our members on the evolution of the Ontario Gas Tax for Transit and OCIF programs so that municipal governments are able to consider how these programs work together and with other important infrastructure funds to help municipalities across the province. It is hoped that the report’s considerations and comments will help members think about how these programs have evolved to serve the diverse needs of municipalities and residents.