Free Transit and Social Movement Infrastructure: Assessing the Political Potential of Toronto
Abstract
Abstract: This article examines the movement-building potential of a campaign for free and accessible public transit in the city of Toronto. The campaign, launched by the newly formed “Greater Toronto Workers’ Assembly,” calls for the de-commodification of Toronto’s transit system, arguing that mass transportation is a public good that should be paid for by fair taxation. The demand for free transit represents a positive, concrete anti-capitalist vision for the future of the city, which could open a space for a broader public dialogue about public goods and public control over resource allocation. The process of developing and organizing a free transit campaign will present a productive set of challenges to the newly formed Assembly, pushing it to develop the relationships, skills, and internal processes necessary for nurturing a broad-based anti-capitalist movement.
Keywords: G20; transit; public sector; social movements; “right to the city”
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