NDP neglects public transport on congested, emission-choked path to net zero

Opinion

The NDP government’s new Path to Net Zero plan has all the right buzzwords — sustainability, electrification, resilience — and plenty of good ideas in broad strokes.

But for a government that has made so much noise about climate leadership, this long-awaited plan lands with more of a thud than a spark.

It’s not that the plan, released Monday, is bad. It outlines the right goals: cutting emissions, transitioning to cleaner transportation, promoting renewable energy and positioning Manitoba to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

All of that makes sense. But what’s glaringly absent is detail — the kind of concrete, measurable, costed-out actions that turn a vision into reality.

The biggest disappointment, though, is what the plan leaves out: a meaningful strategy, with specific funding commitments, to grow public transit.

Transportation is Manitoba’s second-largest source of greenhouse-gas emissions after agriculture. If the province is serious about reaching net zero, changing how people move around has to be a central part of that strategy. And that means building a far more robust public transit system — particularly in Winnipeg.

Yet the NDP’s climate plan doesn’t include a single concrete funding commitment or clear target for improving public transit. It says the province will “work with municipalities to expand public and regional transit systems,” but offers no specifics. No new money, no timelines, and no measurable goals for ridership or emissions reductions.

That’s not a plan — that’s a talking point.

Winnipeg’s transit system is underfunded and overstretched. Buses are too infrequent and unreliable to be a realistic alternative for most commuters. Outside the capital, public transit options are virtually non-existent.

This isn’t just a transportation problem; it’s an emissions problem. If people can’t rely on transit, they’ll keep driving. And if they keep driving, emissions won’t go down.

The government could have used this plan as an opportunity to make a big, bold investment in public transit — something that would actually shift how Manitobans live and move. Instead, we got another glossy government report filled with broad goals but no road map for how to achieve them.

The plan does make one big transportation promise: to expand Manitoba’s electric vehicle charging network. More charging stations are certainly needed. Manitoba has lagged behind most provinces in this area, and a stronger network will help make EV ownership more practical.

But EVs alone aren’t going to solve Manitoba’s transportation problem — not by a long shot.

Electric vehicles are great for cutting tailpipe emissions, but they still take up the same amount of road space, require the same expensive infrastructure and contribute to the same congestion and maintenance costs as gas-powered cars.

They don’t make transportation more affordable or accessible for low-income families. And they don’t reduce the overall number of vehicles on the road.

If Manitoba’s goal is truly to reach net zero, then building more EV chargers while leaving public transit to wither is like trying to fix a leaky roof by buying better buckets. It doesn’t address the underlying problem.

A more sustainable transportation system means fewer cars — not just cleaner ones. It means giving people realistic alternatives to driving.

Expanding public transit isn’t just good for the environment. It’s also smart economics. Fewer vehicles on the road mean less wear and tear on infrastructure — and that saves taxpayers money.

Winnipeg spends hundreds of millions of dollars every year patching potholes, rebuilding streets and maintaining bridges. That’s partly because the city’s transportation system is overwhelmingly car-dependent.

The more people drive, the faster roads deteriorate and the more main thoroughfares need to be expanded (at a cost often in the billions of dollars, such as the planned Kenaston Boulevard expansion). Investing in transit would ease that burden, freeing up resources for other priorities while extending the lifespan of existing infrastructure.

The Kinew government deserves credit for at least producing a plan. After years of neglect under the previous Progressive Conservative government, Manitoba’s climate policy needed an overhaul. The problem is that Manitoba’s Path to Net Zero doesn’t break enough new ground. It’s cautious where it should be bold.

Other provinces have made major, multibillion-dollar commitments to expand public transit as part of their climate plans. Manitoba, by contrast, is still talking about “working with municipalities.”

That kind of small thinking won’t get the job done. Winnipeg’s population is growing, and its transit system has been substandard for years. Without significant provincial support, the city won’t be able to modernize routes, add frequency or expand rapid-transit corridors — all of which are essential if transit is going to become a true alternative to driving.

And without better transit, there’s no realistic path to meeting the province’s emissions targets.

The good news is that the government still has time to get this right. But that will require shifting focus from political slogans about “a green Manitoba” to the unglamorous work of funding and implementing real solutions.

Premier Wab Kinew often talks about building for the next generation. That’s exactly what a serious investment in public transit would do.

But until this government is willing to put real money behind that vision, Manitoba’s Path to Net Zero will remain just that — a path, not a plan.

tom.brodbeck@freepress.mb.ca