Frequently use transit? Send this letter:
(Date)
(Name of your Member of Parliament)
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Dear (name of your Member of Parliament),
I am a constituent in your riding writing in support of a national public transit strategy. At a time when many of our public services are on the chopping block, we need our national government to invest in the future of our cities, not continue the tradition of back room deals and short-sighted one-off investments.
As a transit user, access to affordable and quality public transit is vital to me being able to get to work and live my life. Public transit is fair to the environment, and improves the livability and economic viability of my city. I am concerned that Canada remains the only G8 country without a national strategy, and that our cities rank low on the Board of Trade’s annual Scorecard on Prosperity on all transportation issues.
A national transit strategy will help to make transit both accessible and affordable – strengthening our economy and providing the federal support necessary to coordinate the growth and maintenance of our existing transit system. These needs are too important to our national well-being to continue to be managed in the current piecemeal manner.
I urge you to openly support a national public transit strategy and commit to reliable long-term funding for public transit. The strategy must include all levels of government and must come with accountability measures. Please give Canadians like myself access to affordable quality transit now and in the years to come.
Yours truly,
(Your name)
(Your postal code)
Don’t use transit every day? Send this one, instead:
(Date)
(Name of your Member of Parliament)
House of Commons
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A6
Dear (name of your MP),
I am your constituent and I am writing to urge you to support the implementation of a national transit strategy. The growth of our cities and the sustainability of our environment rests on stable and reliable public transit.
In my community, dated infrastructure is no longer able to meet the needs of our public transit use. Long wait times and congestion are frequent features of my commute, while the burden of financing costly upgrades falls mainly on my municipality.
A national transit strategy will help to make transit both accessible and affordable – strengthening our economy and providing the federal support necessary to coordinate the growth and maintenance of our existing transit system. These needs are too important to our national well-being to continue to be managed in the current piecemeal manner.
The benefits of public transit touch on a number of issues of importance to me. Environmentally speaking, the 45,000 jobs created by the transit industry contribute to a massive reduction in greenhouse gas emissions and to much cleaner air for everyone. The resulting health and environmental benefits translate easily into millions of dollars saved.
Please support the establishment of a national public transit strategy so that Canada can continue to move forward as a prosperous country, both environmentally and economically. Public transit is an essential part of the foundation around which we can continue to grow as a country.
Sincerely,
(your name)
(your postal code)