Local advocates worry about the future of Calgary’s low-income transit pass program, as city council prepares to debate a funding request to close the financial gap of delivering the program during budget talks in November.
With more than 130,000 Calgarians now using the program, officials project it will cost the city $52 million to fund the low-income transit pass this year, an increase of $19 million.
Preliminary budget documents show Calgary Transit has the budget to cover the funding gap in 2024, but not in the upcoming 2025 budget adjustments.
In response, city administration is recommending a one-time allocation of $19 million for the program using money in this year’s projected surplus.
“This funding is not sustainable or recurring, and the reliance on one-time funding is not a long-term solution for maintaining services levels and future growth of the service,” read the city’s preliminary budget documents.
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The city’s low-income transit pass uses a sliding scale system …