The mayors of Canada's largest cities are asking the federal government for $2 billion a year to upgrade and expand their transit systems as part of a national transit strategy.

Toronto Mayor David Miller joined his Montreal counterpart, Gérald Tremblay, and Edmonton Coun. Karen Liebovici Monday in Montreal to announce the proposal, which calls for long-term sustainable funding from Ottawa for repairing existing services and expanding transit networks as cities grow.

Toronto Mayor David Miller, Monday.
(CBC)

"We don't have the capacity to expand our transit systems," Miller said. "We don't even have the money to keep them going."

The Toronto Board of Trade estimates $2 billion is lost annually from gridlock in the Greater Toronto Area alone, he added.

'We don't have the capacity to expand our transit systems. We don't even have the money to keep them going'—Toronto Mayor David Miller

The mayors' proposal also calls for integrating land use with transit planning, research and incentives to encourage more people to use public transit and government accountability measures.

"Public transit plays an important social role and for many households it represents an affordable and accessible means to get around the city," Tremblay said.

Liebovici cited the Canadian Urban Transit Association, saying transit systems across the country need $20.7 billion for infrastructure from now to 2010.

"Mass public transit is the lifeblood of our cities," she said.

Canada is the only country in the G8 without a national transit strategy, the mayors said.

Environmental, health benefits

The transportation sector accounts for 30 per cent of Canada's greenhouse gas emissions, and passenger vehicles are the highest contributor in the transportation sector at 70 per cent of emissions, Miller noted.

"The environmental impact of transit is astounding," he said. "We can help the federal government meet its climate change objectives."

While the mayors recognized Ottawa already makes some investments in transit, they said the need is much greater than the federal funds currently available and the property tax and user fees cities can collect.

The proposal comes the same week Prime Minister Stephen Harper is expected to offer Ontario $1 billion in federal funding to boost rapid transit in the Greater Toronto Area.

The funding includes $700 million for an expansion of Toronto's subway line into York Region.

Miller praised the deal, but said demands on Toronto's strained transit system required more than a "one-off" injection of cash.

"The subway is a very good thing … but that's only one project," Miller said.  "We're talking about long-term permanent funding to sustain and expand a network."

Federal Liberal Leader Stéphane Dion pledged last week he would make a $2-billion annual gas tax transfer to cities and municipalities permanent if he were elected prime minister.