The Bulletin Breakdown | Rural Road Safety, Canada’s EV Strategy & Transit Costs

This week, our hosts discuss three developments shaping roads, transit, and infrastructure funding in Canada and beyond:

🚜 Advocating for Safer Rural Roads

Good Roads President and Hornepayne Mayor Cheryl Fort appeared at provincial pre-budget consultations in Thunder Bay, calling for dedicated funding to improve safety on rural and northern roads. With vast road networks, limited tax bases, and infrastructure designed a century ago, municipalities face growing safety and liability risks without adequate provincial support. 

⚡ Canada’s National EV Strategy Takes Shape

The federal government has revised its electric vehicle approach, replacing sales mandates with rebates, emissions standards aligned with Europe, and a new $1.5 billion EV infrastructure fund. As the U.S. steps back from emissions tracking, Canada appears to be charting a different path—raising important questions for municipal infrastructure planning and charging networks. 

🚍 What Would It Take to Fix American Transit? 

New research estimates that bringing U.S. public transit up to international standards would require $4.6 trillion USD over 20 years—still less than what’s planned for highways. The analysis highlights how vehicle density, long-term investment, and global benchmarks could reshape transit debates, even amid political resistance.