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MORGAN MODJESKI \/ FREE PRESS<\/p>\n
Kakek\u00e1 Thundersky, northern and rural engagement coordinator for Climate Action Team Manitoba, attends Saturday\u2019s rally with her two daughters.<\/p>\n
Organized by Climate Action Team Manitoba and the local Amalgamated Transit Union, the rally called for a 50\/50 transit-funding agreement that would see increases in city transit spending split dollar-for-dollar with the province moving forward.<\/p>\n
Kakek\u00e1 Thundersky, the action team\u2019s northern and rural engagement coordinator, said the restoration of 50\/50 funding by the province \u2013 cancelled in 2016 by the former Conservative government \u2013 would make transit better and life easier for her and her two daughters.<\/p>\n
\u201cRight now, riding the bus is kind of hit-or-miss,\u201d she said. \u201cI wouldn\u2019t have to leave an hour before something just to get there.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s been so many times we\u2019ve been turned around because there\u2019s not enough room for us. Then there\u2019s been times where there is space for us, but (it\u2019s) overcrowded, so there\u2019s nowhere to sit.\u201d<\/p>\n
She hopes more resources for transit would also lead to fewer cars on the road, less pollution and a healthier environment for her kids.<\/p>\n
The union representing transit drivers also called for more investment in transit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWith proper funding, it makes the routes more reliable and it makes drivers a lot less stressed,\u201d said James Van Gerwan, president of ATU 1505, which represents 1,400 drivers in Winnipeg and Brandon.<\/p>\n
As Winnipeg\u2019s population grows, the transit system needs to keep up, he said. \u201cWe need to build a city that\u2019s built around transit, not build transit around the city.\u201d<\/p>\n
Excluding service revenue, Winnipeg will spend about $128.6 million in 2026 and increase that to $133.8 million in 2027, according to the city\u2019s budget. Provincial funding spent on Winnipeg Transit has stayed flat since 2017 at roughly $42 million, according to budget documents.<\/p>\n