The City of Edmonton has peace officers ticketing people for violating transit bylaws/not paying for transit use in the winter. 

In Edmonton, we experience such extreme weather during the winter season. Transit is a public service; no one should have to walk outside in below -25 weather because they can’t afford to use transit. Programs exist but they aren’t always accessible to Edmonton’s most vulnerable.

City council needs to re-evaluate the existing bylaw on issuing transit tickets based on our weather conditions.

Yes, they’ve been able to open up transit centres to those in need but a lot of these stations don’t have adequate heating for extreme conditions that we experience today. 

City council should discuss the feasibility of making transit free when temperatures hit below -25 degrees. If not, at the very least have subsidized fines because no one should have to choose between risking walking in the cold and paying a $250 fine.