With City Council facing a significant deficit in the budget this year, all investments and services are under threat of being scaled back or cut altogether. See our blog for our full position on it.
We want to give you a tool to raise your voice to ensure that the $100 million for Active Transportation Infrastructure is maintained within this round of Budget Adjustments. Find your councillor on the map below, and use the included email template to let them know why you think maintaining the $100 million for active transportation infrastructure is critical. Feel free to copy and paste; you can find a text table at the bottom of this page with all of the Councillor’s names, emails, and Wards. You can also look up your Councillor by address here.
EMAIL TEMPLATE
Subject Line: Fall Supplemental Budget 2023 – Support Walking, Rolling, and Biking
Hello [Councillor Name],
I live in Ward [ward name] and I am writing to you today to express my support for maintaining the $100 million to fund the Active Transportation Implementation Acceleration Infrastructure Plan in light of the Supplementary Budget Adjustments presented to City Council on November 7th.
I personally see value in this funding, as I want more transportation options within my community.
[INSERT YOUR OWN STORIES/DATA REGARDING USING ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION, ESPECIALLY IF YOU CAN SPEAK TO NEW ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION INFRASTRUCTURE IN YOUR WARD].
It is important to note that this $100 million only gets us half way to our goal of implementing the Bike Plan and providing better transportation choices across the city. We will need continued investment in future budget cycles to ensure more Edmontonians have more transportation choices. We cannot roll back now because we will need to invest in these choices to achieve our City Plan goals.
We need to maintain this funding as it is the fiscally responsible choice – with wider spread at a reduced cost compared to vehicle infrastructure, safe and protected active transportation infrastructure gives Edmontonians choice in how they move around their city. Additionally, since this project is paid through debt financing over a long period of time, cancelling it would have minimal impact on the current budget cycle, with the highest cost being 0.15% of the total operating budget ($3.3 million) in 2026. Further, we’ve gotten some really great press on our leadership in Active Transportation over the last few months (See Globe and Mail, Dutch Cycling Embassy, and Youtube creator Shifter), and it would be really awkward if we pulled out now.
I implore you to consider the implications of pulling out of or reducing this funding. With such a minimal impact to the operating budget over the next 4 years (0.02-0.15% per year), it is critical to maintain our investments in order to shift Edmonton into a more progressive, fiscally responsible city by enabling alternative modes of transportation for our citizens.
Sincerely,
[Name]
[Postal Code]
| Councillor | Ward | |
| Erin Rutherford | Anirniq | [email protected] |
| Aaron Paquette | Dene | [email protected] |
| Jennifer Rice | Ipiihkoohkanipiaohtsi | [email protected] |
| Keren Tang | Karhiio | [email protected] |
| Ashley Salvador | Métis | [email protected] |
| Andrew Knack | Nakota Isga | [email protected] |
| Anne Stevenson | O-day’min | [email protected] |
| Michael Janz | papastew | [email protected] |
| Tim Cartmell | pihêsiwin ᐱᐦᐁᓯᐏᐣ | [email protected] |
| Sarah Hamilton | sipiwiyiniwak | [email protected] |
| Jo-Anne Wright | Sspomitapi | [email protected] |
| Karen Principe | tastawiyiniwak | [email protected] |