Councillors miffed that London Transit didn’t apply for funding to improve and expand bus service

City councillors expressed disappointment over the London Transit Commission failing to apply for additional funding from city hall.

After getting a bumpy ride during municipal budget deliberations last year, the London Transit Commission (LTC) again found itself the target of criticism from city councillors.

“My disappointment is that there is no assessment growth [business] case from LTC,” said Deputy Mayor Shawn Lewis.

On Tuesday, the Strategic Priorities and Policy Committee endorsed a staff report allocating $12.6 million of a potential $17 million of assessment growth to fund business cases submitted by municipal departments, boards, and commissions to support growth-related expenditures in 2025.

There was no submission from the LTC.

“I have many new subdivisions that are really eager to get some form of transit into the neighbourhoods,” said Coun. Corrine Rahman, who represents northwest London.

“[I] was hoping to see more transit service and a business case here to expand service hours,” added Coun. Susan Stevenson, who represents the Old East Village.

City staff explained that they communicate with municipal departments and external boards about qualifying for assessment growth funding.

“LTC [can] perhaps pursue assessment growth funding in the future, that could speak to pressures associated perhaps with infill or intensification, assuming they could be supported by appropriate metrics,” explained Kyle Murray, director of Financial Planning and Business Supports. “I think that’s been somewhat the challenge for LTC, to be able to identify those metrics that support that growth.”

Lewis believes London Transit could make a compelling case that population growth justifies improvements to existing routes and extending service into new parts of the city.

“They heard in the budget debates for two years in a row that we were encouraging them to submit for assessment growth and there was no participation in terms of a submission this year,” Lewis said.

Assessment growth is property tax generated from new construction, and under a policy that growth pays for growth, is made available each year to support service improvement related to London’s increasing population.

This year, a total of $16.995,602 was available ($9,790,666 this year plus $7,204,936 carryover from last year)

Two boards received assessment growth funding:

• London Police Service ($5,787,671)
• Land Ambulance ($1,535,958)