Edmonton's city council made pivotal decisions on transportation funding during the second day of budget deliberations on December 2, 2025, placing public transit at the forefront of the debate.
Transit Expansion Gets Green Light
Councillors voted 8-5 to approve a motion by Coun. Ashley Salvador to purchase 25 new buses for the Edmonton Transit Service (ETS) fleet. The $25.2-million investment will be funded through tax-supported debt over several years.
Salvador argued that public transit is a critical tool for affordable transportation, citing record ridership. ETS recorded 5,369,681 passenger trips in October 2025 alone. The city's fleet currently has 440 buses requiring replacement and needs an additional 99 new buses to meet growing demand.
Mayor Andrew Knack supported the purchase, emphasizing that transit has been "chronically underfunded for years" and that the city is not keeping up with growth. "We need to get more buses on our streets — you can't build your way out of congestion," he stated.
Road Repair Funding Proposal Defeated
In a separate but closely watched vote, council rejected a motion by Coun. Karen Tang to add $5 million for repaving the city's most needy arterial roads. This proposal would have increased the proposed property tax hike to 6.42%.
Tang noted that funding for this purpose has decreased over successive four-year budget cycles. Administration revealed the city spent just under $73.4 million on road repairs over the past four years. Council defeated the motion by a vote of 9 to 4, with plans to revisit road repair funding in the next budget cycle.
Other Key Budget Decisions
Councillors also voted on several other capital spending items put forward by Coun. Karen Principe in an effort to reduce expenses. Key outcomes included:
- Council opted to keep funding for bike rack replacements on ETS buses.
- Funding for a new transportation command centre was maintained.
- Councillors voted 8-5 against postponing the demolition of the Argyll Velodrome, a project with an estimated cost of $3.2 million. Principe had argued for a delay, suggesting the pay-as-you-go fund could be used to offset the tax hike, but others cautioned that delay would only increase future costs.
The budget talks highlight the ongoing tension between investing in public transit infrastructure and maintaining existing road networks, setting a financial course for Edmonton's transportation future.
