Transport 2000 Canada Hot Line

5 June 2009

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline, issue number 1023, for 5 June 2009.

In this issue...

1 - Calendar

2 - Halifax: Sustainable Transportation Strategy

The Shifting to Sustainable Transportation Partnership released a new report outlining how the Halifax Regional Municipality (HRM) and surrounding commutershed can move to a more sustainable transportation system on June 4. The report highlights the outcomes of a one-day intensive workshop in January 2009 that brought together a diversity of professionals, stakeholders and citizens to plan for the future of the region's transportation system in an integrated and sustainable way.

Workshop participants identified four critical components of a more sustainable transportation network for the region:

The report is at: http://www.ecologyaction.ca/content/transportation-publications

3 - Emmanuel Bilodeau et Transport 2000: « Le gouvernement dort au gaz »

« L'acteur Emmanuel Bilodeau a décidé de se joindre à Transport 2000 Québec pour demander aux gouvernements d'investir davantage dans les transports en commun. Au cours de la quatorzième campagne Journée de l'air pur, qui se mettra en branle de juin à septembre, ils inviteront les citoyens à se faire entendre pour que Québec et Ottawa débloquent d'importants investissements pour le métro, les autobus et les trains, » QMT a rapporté le 3 juin.

« Le gouvernement dort au gaz, et les citoyens dorment au gaz! », a lancé Emmanuel Bilodeau aujourd'hui, en conférence de presse.

QMT a rapporté « Pour Normand Parisien, directeur général de Transport 2000 Québec, la province fait pâle figure quand on y compare le financement gouvernemental des transports en commun par habitant à celui de nos voisins canadiens. « En 2007, l'Ontario a dépensé 105 $ par habitant pour les transports collectifs, et la Colombie-Britannique 150 $ par habitant. En comparaison, le Québec consent seulement 70 $ par personne », déplore-t-il.

http://www2.canoe.com/infos/quebeccanada/archives/2009/06/20090603-184237.html

4 - Detroit River International Crossing controversy: Natalie Litwin, Transport 2000

"The environmental assessment of the Detroit River International Crossing plan was upheld by the Ontario Ministry of the Environment on April 24. The ministry was satisfied that the EA complied with the Environmental Assessment Act and that it did an "adequate job" in evaluating alternatives to the road-based plan," Natalie Litwin president of Transport 2000 Ontario wrote in the Windsor Star on June 2.

"The EA's examination of alternatives was not sufficiently thorough. The rail and rail/truck intermodal option has more potential than the assessment recognized. One DRIC study estimated that 44 per cent of truck traffic now using the Ambassador Bridge is suited to being carried by rail. The reduction of truck traffic on Windsor area streets would remove a huge headache for its beleaguered citizens," Litwin wrote in the Star.

http://www2.canada.com/windsorstar/news/editorial/story.html?id=81cc9ee0-8f37-405e-aadf-d01c1cf7723b

5 - Free rides all-day on Clean Air Day: Transport 2000 John Pearce

"The award winning Kings' Transit system "Free Rides all-day" on Clean Air Day, June 3, was a great success. Normal weekday ridership on the 160 km long system in the Annapolis Valley of N.S. is about 1400 passengers. Wednesday's traffic exceeded 2500 with full-size buses packed in the busiest central parts of the route between Wolfville, Kentville, and Greenwood where service is hourly," Transport 2000's John Pearce reports. "Many first time riders enjoyed the occasion, learning the fare system ($3.50 maximum for unlimited distance travel), how to handle parcels in a crowded bus, and how to read timetables, all of which bodes well for the future. A repeat offering will be up to a decision of the Board of Directors," Pearce reports.

6 - High Speed Rail Canada: Two major studies posted

High Speed Rail Canada, (HSRC) a citizen's national advocacy group dedicated to the education on, and the implementation of, high speed trains in Canada, has made available:

1. 2008 UPDATED FEASIBILITY STUDY OF A HIGH SPEED RAIL SERVICE IN THE QUÉBEC CITY WINDSOR CORRIDOR/ 2008 ÉTUDE D'ACTUALISATION CONCERNANT LA FAISABILITÉ D'UN TRAIN HAUTE VITESSE DANS LE CORRIDOR QUÉBEC - WINDSOR and

2. THE FINAL REPORT ON THE 1992-1995 QUÉBEC-ONTARIO HIGH-SPEED RAIL /RAPPORT FINAL SUR LE PROJET DE TRAIN RAPIDE QUÉBEC-ONTARIO 1992-1995 PROJECT STUDY.

http://www.highspeedrail.ca

7 - Trains better alternative for Sudbury: Kev Rayner

"Sudbury has traffic problems. No worries, expansion projects such as four-laning highways 69 and 17, the Kingsway expansion, work on Notre Dame, the Maley Drive extension, Highway 17 bypass cloverleafs and now the Barrydowne extension should fix that," Kev Rayner wrote in the Sudbury Star on June 3.

"OK, back up the truck -- Sudbury's main goal right now should be to focus on the infrastructure we have, maintain it to acceptable standards and use it to its potential. Solutions to any issues must benefit all of Greater Sudbury, not just one area.

"Creating a rail transit system on pre-existing lines in Greater Sudbury uses infrastructure to its potential and would benefit all extremities of the city. It would also be a green solution to alleviate traffic and allow road funds to fix the roads we already have that are crumbling. Building Barrydowne extension would not do any of that," Rayner wrote in the Star.

http://www.thesudburystar.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1596035

8 - Federal and Ontario governments pour $9.5-billion (US) into General Motors

On June 1 the Globe and Mail reported: "The federal and Ontario governments do not expect General Motors Corp. (to repay the bulk of the $9.5-billion (U.S.) in Canadian loans the auto maker is receiving as part of Monday's bankruptcy filing, Prime Minister Stephen Harper said." The Globe reported: "Most of GM loan won't be repaid, Harper says."

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/most-of-gm-loan-wont-be-repaid-harper-says/article1163443/

9 - More U.S. Airports Add Rail Service To Downtown

"For environmental reasons - reducing carbon footprint - and cost - building parking garages and expansive lots - the airport/rail agenda is being pushed," National Corridors reported on June 1.

"Near term projects in Seattle, Dallas, Salt Lake City, Phoenix, Miami, Dallas/Fort Worth and Oakland are expected to open during the next five years. Denver Washington Dulles and Los Angeles have similar plans, but their projects are years from completion," National Corridors reported.

http://www.nationalcorridors.org/df2/df06012009.shtml

10 - Le transport en commun sous-financé au Québec

« Les transports en commun du Québec seraient sous-financés par rapport à ceux des autres provinces canadiennes, révèle une étude de l'Association canadienne du transport urbain (ACTU). Ainsi, en 2007, le gouvernement provincial de Jean Charest aurait versé 40 $ par habitant pour les autobus, le métro et les trains de banlieue, » Agence QMI Jean-Louis Fortin a rapporté le 28 mai.

C'est près de quatre fois moins que ce que le gouvernement de Colombie-Britannique octroie aux transports collectifs pour chaque habitant, c'est-à-dire 150 $. L'Ontario, avec 105 $ par habitant, et l'Alberta, avec 60 $ par habitant, devancent aussi le Québec à ce chapitre, selon l'ACTU.

http://www2.canoe.com/infos/quebeccanada/archives/2009/05/20090528-164830.html

11 - We simply cannot wait any longer: High or at least higher speed rail

"High-speed rail may sound like a fantasy, a pipe dream on a continent in love with the automobile, but it's coming to a city near you. The only question is when," Paul Berton wrote in the London Free Press on June 1.

"These trains are safer, faster, easier, more comfortable, more environmentally friendly, and less expensive than travel by automobile or airplane. You needn't have experienced the misery of commercial airline travel or rush-hour traffic to know this.

"We need someone in Canada to do the same. And if not high-speed rail, at least higher-speed rail, something attractive enough to take the pressure off our roads and airways - let alone the atmosphere," Berton reported in the Free Press.

http://www.lfpress.com/cgi-bin/publish.cgi?x=letters&p=29394&s=letters

12 - High-speed rail between Vancouver and Portland

"There will be no high-speed rail between Vancouver and its sister Pacific Northwest cities unless the B.C. and Canadian governments finance an improved or new rail corridor north of the border, says an official with the Vancouver Board of Trade," Canwest News Service reported on May 29.

In the short term, B.C. politicians should pursue securing a second Amtrak train from the U.S. and into Vancouver, he said. A major roadblock to a second train is a demand by the Canada Border Services Agency to charge a $1,500 daily levy because the train would arrive outside normal CBSA working hours.

"The economic benefits we would derive and the taxes going into the federal coffers from a second Amtrak train would far outweigh the cost to customs," the Board of Trade's Bernie) Mangan said," Canwest's Doug Ward reported.

http://www.canada.com/news/High+speed+rail+between+Vancouver+Portland+requires+improved+corridor/1642829/story.html

Thank you for calling the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline. For additional information, please contact our web site at:

www.transport2000.ca.