Transport 2000 Canada Hot Line

4 September 2009

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline, issue number 1036, for 4 September 2009.

In this issue...

1 - Calendar

2 - Possible Greyhound alternative: Saskatchewan Transportation Corporation

"Greyhound to cease operations in Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario with other provinces to follow shortly," the intercity bus company announced on Sept. 3. Toronto Star quoted Transport Minister John Baird's response: "Greyhound is a Texas-based multinational company .. . I think their actions are heavy-handed. It's clearly an attempt to bully the provincial governments of Manitoba and Ontario. This is a shakedown of the taxpayer." The same Sept. 4 Star article quoted Ontario Transportation Minister Jim Bradley: "We are hopeful that another private-sector carrier will seek the opportunity to provide bus service in this corridor."

The Winnipeg Sun reported: "Manitoba should steer around its possible loss of Greyhound's service by developing its own public highway bus system, NDP MP Jim Maloway says, pointing to Saskatchewan as a model. Maloway (Elmwood-Transcona) said yesterday there's no reason Manitoba can't develop a bus operation such as that run by Saskatchewan Transportation Co., which serves more than 280 communities in that province. 'We should talk to Saskatchewan about either developing a Crown corporation like theirs, or else maybe joining with them,' said Maloway."

3 - Loblaw Companies invests in intermodality

A fifty-year shipping trend to shipping by truck is changing with the growth of the intermodal option. On Sept. 2 Bruce Johnstone of the Leader-Post reported on a big project that brings Canada's largest food distributor back to the rails in Regina. "Work is progressing on Loblaw's 500,000-square-foot, $200-million distribution centre. The project is the first phase of a one-million-square-foot, $350-million warehouse and distribution facility Loblaw Companies plans to develop on the site. The location is part of the Global Transportation Hub, which will incorporate CP Rail's intermodal facility," the Leader-Press reported.

"Being CP Rail's largest customer and Canada's largest food distributor, Loblaw wanted to be located close to CP's intermodal facility to 'optimize our service levels to our stores' and 'minimize our environmental impact' Jane Marshall, executive vice-president of real estate for Loblaw Companies," the Bruce Johnstone reported on Sept 2.

http://www.leaderpost.com/search/search.html?q=Building+underway+at+Loblaw%27s+site

4 - Aviation safety: Critics say Transport Canada ignores Transportation Safety Board

"The board, which investigates air, marine and rail accidents and makes recommendations for improved safety, does its job well, say survivors, the families of victims and a former judge who presided over the inquiry into one of Canada's worst-ever domestic plane crashes. But the TSB's reports are too often ignored by Transport Canada, the federal department in charge of regulating those industries, those same people have told The Canadian Press. They say they fear the department is too easily swayed by transportation companies reluctant to spend money to upgrade safety," Terri Theodore, reported for The Canadian Press on Aug. 30.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5gRDk6wSxwsyH6txi7TDZb-N1XKGQ

5 - Un train Sherbrooke-Montréal est justifiable: Transport 2000 Québec

Lundi 31 août une pièce d'opinion de la plume de Réjean Beaudoin de Sherbrook a paru dans La Tribune : « Il est surprenant de constater la conclusion de Via Rail à l'effet qu'au moins un train pour passagers régulier liant Sherbrooke à Montréal n'est pas rentable. »

« Imaginez, dans l'État du Maine, entre la ville de Portland (66 000 habitants) et la ville de Boston, c'est-à-dire une distance de près de 178 km, il y a cinq trains de passagers par jour qui côtoient, en plus, l'autoroute 95. Et on va nous dire que pour ce genre de train entre Sherbrooke (150 000 habitants et plus et Montréal, il n'y a même pas de justification pour un seul train quotidien! » Beaudoin a écrit. Le président de Transport 2000 Québec, M. Jean Leveillé nous a informé qu'il appui la position de M. Beaudoin et il serait enclin à identifier un autre transporteur, soit Orford Express ou l'AMT par exemple, face à l'attitude de VIA Rail.

6 - Last Mountain Railway: 84-mile line from Regina to Davidson

The first train on the newly purchased Last Mountain Railway (LMR), operated from CN's North Regina yard to Chamberlain, SK in a positioning move on 31 August, 2009. An official opening of the entire 84-mile line from Davidson to Regina is set for Craik in late September. The exact date will be determined shortly. This would bring the number of short lines in Saskatchewan to a dozen. The activists, including Transport 2000 members and consultants George and Martin Wooldridge, who have worked on this project are to be congratulated!

7 - Amtrak Thruway bus service to Sault Ste. Marie?

On Sept. 1, Indian Trails bus line in Michigan, which is working on a connection of Amtrak Thruway bus service right on to Sault Ste Marie MI (and ON) announced the it has a new Bus Depot/Travel Center St. Ignace. Indian Trails, Inc., plans on using the new station starting Sept. 22, with a dedication ceremony on Sept. 28. Michigan Association of Railroad Passengers will be represented at both events.

8 - New Belleville VIA Rail station

"Belleville is on track for a new VIA Rail station which will make the city "one of the core stops" on the busiest rail line in Canada, Prince Edward-Hastings MP Daryl Kramp said. "Pierre Santoni, VIA Rail senior director for national sales, said the city's existing station -- opened in 1856 -- will be preserved once the new station opens in late 2010 or early 2011. He said VIA recognizes the historic significance of the structure, though it can longer meet the needs of passengers and VIA employees," W. Brice McVicar wrote in the (Belleville) Intelligencer on Sept. 1.

http://www.intelligencer.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=1723592

9 - Bike lockers for Hamilton commuters: Metrolinx

"New bike lockers are set to open in the downtown core this month to better help commuting cyclists link up with public transit. The 16 lockers, designed to hold 16 bikes each, will open at the Hamilton Convention Centre as part of Metrolinx's $2.2-million program to provide secure bike parking for cyclists across the Golden Horseshoe area," Daniel Nolan wrote in the Hamilton Spectator on September 1.

"Studies by Metrolinx, the provincial transportation agency overseeing the Golden Horseshoe, suggest people use their bikes less than they'd like because of the risk of theft," the Spectator reported.

http://www.thespec.com/News/Local/article/626989

10 - Battle River Railway New Generation Co-op

"A group of Camrose-area grain farmers have outbid North America's largest rail steel salvage company for a stretch of track CN is closing. Now they have to come up with the $4.8 million. 'We're optimistic it will happen,' said Ken Eshpeter, president of newly formed Battle River Railway New Generation Co-op," David Finlayson wrote in the Edmonton Journal on August 28.

"They (the farmers) filled 650 grain cars this year, and plan to expand that to at least 1,000. The group outbid K and S Materials of Salt Lake City for the tracks, which it would have ripped up. The line was upgraded in 1988, and the 132-pound-strength steel is as heavy as the main CN lines ".

http://www2.canada.com/edmontonjournal/news/business/story.html?id=c7f58d7d-c5ca-4a24-9a81-3fc134529ed4

11 - Outstanding transportation websites: Canadian Association of Geographers

The Canadian Association of Geographers reports: "The outstanding transportation websites for 2009 have been selected. The reasons for the selections, and the urls of websites selected for 2007, 2008, and 2009 can be downloaded from the Transportation Day link at http://www.cag-acg.ca/en/geography_week_2009.html

According to Barry Wellar, Program Director of Geography Awareness Week: Nov. 16-20, the emphasis on non-academic websites has been a major success. "We wanted to alert Canadians to the excellent government, business, and interest group websites which connect geography and transportation."

"Feedback from the selected websites sponsors, and many Canadians and non-Canadians, tells us that this is a great way to demonstrate and learn about the connections between Canada's geography and its transportation needs and capabilities," Wellar says. Transport 2000 Canada is featured in the 2007 review. This year's top ten includes:

10. Ottawa Light Rail Video Pages
http://web.ncf.ca/fd978/SE_Transitway_2008

8. ScaleDown Windsor
http://www.scaledown.ca/

6. La Route verte au Quebec
http://www.routeverte.com/rv/index_e.php?page=diapo2_e&image=17

4. ecoACTION, Government of Canada
http://www.ecoaction.gc.ca

1. Google Maps
http://maps.google.ca/

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

www.transport2000.ca.