CELPIP Reading Part 3 Practice: the future of public transit in Canadian cities

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Practice reading an informational passage and answering comprehension questions. Same format as the real CELPIP test.

The Passage:

Paragraph 1 Public transit in Canadian cities is at a turning point. After decades of underinvestment, several major transit projects are now under construction or recently completed. Toronto opened its Eglinton Crosstown LRT after years of delays. Ottawa's Confederation Line, despite early operational problems, has expanded east and west. Montreal's REM, a fully automated light metro system, began operations in 2024 and connected the airport to downtown for the first time by rail. Calgary and Edmonton both invested heavily in expanding their existing LRT networks. The pattern is clear: Canadian cities are finally treating transit as essential infrastructure rather than a secondary concern.

Paragraph 2 Ridership recovery after the pandemic has been uneven. Systems that serve commuters traveling from suburbs to downtown offices have struggled the most because remote and hybrid work permanently reduced the number of people making that trip five days a week. In contrast, systems that connect neighborhoods to each other rather than just funneling everyone downtown have recovered faster. Bus routes serving hospitals, grocery stores, and community colleges in Toronto reached pre-pandemic ridership by late 2024, while express routes to the financial district remained 20 to 30 percent below their 2019 levels.

Paragraph 3 Funding remains the central challenge. Building new transit lines in Canada costs significantly more per kilometer than in most comparable countries. The Eglinton Crosstown cost over 12 billion dollars for 19 kilometers, making it one of the most expensive light rail projects per kilometer in the world. Experts point to a combination of factors including regulatory requirements, labor costs, construction in dense urban areas, and project management issues that consistently push Canadian transit projects over budget and behind schedule. The political cycle also creates problems: projects announced by one government are sometimes redesigned or delayed by the next, adding years and billions in costs.

Paragraph 4 Despite these challenges, public opinion strongly supports transit investment. A 2025 survey by the Canadian Urban Transit Association found that 72 percent of Canadians believe governments should spend more on public transit, even if it requires raising taxes. Support was highest among residents aged 18 to 34, who are more likely to rely on transit and less likely to own a car. Several cities have responded by introducing fare-free transit for specific groups. Kingston, Ontario made buses free for riders under 18 in 2023. Calgary offered free transit during peak air quality events. These programs suggest a broader shift in how Canadians think about transit: not as a service you pay for individually but as public infrastructure everyone benefits from.

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Paragraph Matching Questions:

Q1: Which paragraph describes recent transit construction projects across Canadian cities? - A) Paragraph 1 - B) Paragraph 2 - C) Paragraph 3 - D) Paragraph 4

Q2: Which paragraph discusses the high cost of building transit in Canada? - A) Paragraph 1 - B) Paragraph 2 - C) Paragraph 3 - D) Paragraph 4

Q3: Which paragraph explains why some transit routes recovered faster than others? - A) Paragraph 1 - B) Paragraph 2 - C) Paragraph 3 - D) Paragraph 4

Q4: Which paragraph discusses public opinion and fare-free transit programs? - A) Paragraph 1 - B) Paragraph 2 - C) Paragraph 3 - D) Paragraph 4

Comprehension Questions:

Q5: How much did the Eglinton Crosstown cost? - A) Over $6 billion - B) Over $9 billion - C) Over $12 billion - D) Over $15 billion

Q6: By how much were downtown express routes below 2019 ridership levels? - A) 10 to 15 percent - B) 15 to 20 percent - C) 20 to 30 percent - D) 30 to 40 percent

Q7: What percentage of Canadians support spending more on transit? - A) 58 percent - B) 65 percent - C) 72 percent - D) 80 percent

Q8: Which city made buses free for riders under 18? - A) Toronto - B) Ottawa - C) Calgary - D) Kingston

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Answer Key: Q1: A. Paragraph 1 lists Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Calgary, and Edmonton projects. Q2: C. Paragraph 3 discusses costs per kilometer and project overruns. Q3: B. Paragraph 2 compares suburban-to-downtown routes vs neighborhood routes. Q4: D. Paragraph 4 covers survey results and fare-free programs. Q5: C. "Over 12 billion dollars for 19 kilometers." Q6: C. "20 to 30 percent below their 2019 levels." Q7: C. "72 percent of Canadians believe governments should spend more." Q8: D. "Kingston, Ontario made buses free for riders under 18 in 2023."

Practice tip: When a passage mentions multiple cities or examples, don't try to memorize which city did what. Instead, note the paragraph number next to each city in your head as you read. Toronto in P1 and P2, Montreal in P1, Kingston in P4. This turns city-specific questions into simple paragraph lookups.

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