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| Transport Action Hotline - 26 February 2010 | |||||||||||
In this issue...This is the Transport Action Hotline, issue number 1061, for 26 February 2010.
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1 - Calendar
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2 - Soo to Sudbury railway will close if funds not in place by end of MarchHuron Central Railway in Canada is once again facing a deadline for an essential capital investment for track improvements needed to keep the line operating beyond August of this year, Sault This Week reports. Mario Brault, president of Huron Central, said from his Montreal headquarters that if the federal and Ontario governments do not announce funding assistance by the end of March at the very latest, the regional short line rail company operating between the Sault and Sudbury would be forced to shut down this August," Railway Track and Structure reported on Feb. 24.
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3 - Regina adopts a transit investment plan: Transport Action supportOn Feb. 22 Regina city council adopted the long-awaited Transit Investment Plan, prepared by Burnaby-based AECOM Canada and CityTransit administration's acton plan. Transport Action's Catherine Verrall writes: "Both plans were created with much public consultation. Transport Action members worked through the Regina Citizens' Public Transit Coalition, and are pleased that the plans promote ways to deal with most concerns. Transport Action appreciates the city's invitation to continue working with them as we struggle to bring these fine plans into reality."
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4 - TGV Montréal-Boston-New-York : Un espoir pour Québec« Dimanche, après une rencontre avec le secrétaire américain aux Transports, Ray Lahood, le premier ministre Jean Charest a annoncé que Washington acceptait de former un groupe de travail bilatéral pour étudier la faisabilité d'un projet de train à haute vitesse reliant Montréal à Boston et New York » SRC Québec a rapporté le 22 février.« L'organisme Transport 2000 Québec, qui lutte pour le développement des moyens de transport durables, applaudit aussi l'annonce, qui devrait permettre, selon son président, de développer une culture du TGV au Québec ainsi qu'en Amérique du Nord » SRC Québec a rapporté.
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5 - Acadian bus cuts: Seven hearingsPublic concern continues to grow over cuts proposed by the Maritimes regional bus line "Acadian" which is owned by Groupe Orleans Express in Montreal with financial backing from Europe. Starting from one joint hearing of the Energy and Utilities Board of New Brunswick and the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board in the NB-NS border town of Amherst, the push for local hearings in areas affected by the cuts has led to six more hearings.In Nova Scotia hearings were held in Wolfville on Feb. 24 (daytime) and that evening also in Wolfville (Old Orchard Inn) and in Digby the next evening. Acadian's only Digby-Kentville run faces cancellation. At the request of Transport 2000/Action Atlantic and other concerned parties including the Union of NS Municipalities, hearings have just been announced for the afternoon of March 2 in Sydney and, if interest is shown, the following afternoon in Antigonish, the home of St. Francis-Xavier University. In New Brunswick total cuts to single round trips between Miramichi and Fredericton and between St. Stephen and Saint John have resulted in the provincial Energy and Utilities Board organizing 5:30 pm hearings in Miramichi March 15, St. Stephen March 16, and Fredericton March 17. Acadian claims it faces growing loses and can no longer cross-subsidize less travelled routes from falling profits on busy runs. Along with the above noted cuts, it has proposed more frequent limited stop runs between major cities of Fredericton, Saint John, and Moncton, NB and Halifax, NS. John Pearce, past-president of Transport 2000 Atlantic will present in Sydney. Board member Clark Morris presented in Wolfville, NS on Feb. 23. Transport 2000/Action prepared a 105-slide power-point presentation for the hearings.
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6 - Un TGV Québec-Ontario : le projet séduit, mais Montréal hésite« Le Canada est probablement le seul pays du G20 qui n'a pas un plan pour un train à grande vitesse ou qui n'a pas carrément un train à grande vitesse. ... Québec, Ottawa, Gatineau, Toronto, Windsor peut-être, Trois-Rivières. Être bien branchés en ce qui concerne Montréal autour et ensuite branchez cela aux États, là on arrive avec un réseau qui peut offrir quelque chose » Harry Gow de Transport Action a dit au Point le 22 février.Le Président de la Chambre du commerce du Montréal a dit « Ce qu'on entend beaucoup, c'est des problèmes, des projets beaucoup plus immédiats à solutionner, l'échangeur Turcot vient en tête de liste, le boulevard Notre-Dame est jugé très important; c'est un accès fondamental pour le port et pour le centre-ville. Il y a beaucoup de projets dans la région de Montréal, c'est un ensemble urbain extrêmement complexe mais qui a énormément de dynamisme et de projets. » Sur Le Point M. Gow a répondu « C'est triste, mais peut-être que d'autres villes vont en profiter de leur désorganisation. On pourrait, par exemple, faire le TGV Ottawa-Toronto et renforcer la position d'Ottawa face à Montréal et devenir un concurrent plus important. »
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7 - Winnipeg Mayor Katz proposes a 4-line Light Rail Transit systemA Feb. 22 Winnipeg Free Press article reports Mayor Sam Katz plans to persuade the provincial and federal governments to help fund a light-rail rapid transit system for Winnipeg. He envisages four routes from the outskirts to the centre of the city, and if funding is available, a line to the airport.Transport Action's Peter Lacey writes: "The LRT cost is pegged at over $600 million, an interesting amount when compared to the current busway plan, which will cost $327 million for a mere nine kilometres. The article says no funding for the second phase is in the city's long-term capital plan. Lacey notes: "Councillor Russ Wyatt claims Mayor Katz has twice in the last fourteen months turned down funding from the province for Phase 2 of the BRT and has asked for roads money instead!" The Free Press story, written by Bartley Kives, says the provincial government is not opposed to the idea but feels that LRT should wait on the completion of Phase 2 of the bus rapid transit plan. Transportation Minister Ashton said then "over the next 10, 20, or 30 years there may be discussion about light rail". The province has committed funding for both phases of the BRT. Federal Minister Toews stands with the city on the project, but says that changes in focus have happened from time to time, which have caused delays in commitments. http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/the-wheels-on-the-bus-go-round-and-round-84939052.html
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8 - Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz: A slow rapid transit recordAs reported by the Winnipeg Free Press:
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9 - Transport 2000 Québec's Jacques Coté returns temporarily as CEO of the Société du Havre de MontréalOn Feb. 22, Mrs. Isabelle Hudon, Chair of the Board of Directors of the Société du Havre de Montréal, wishes to announce the temporary return of Mr. Jacques Coté as President and Chief Executive Officer of the not-for-profit organisation managing the Bonaventure Expressway project that will lead to the creation of the Quartier Bonaventure.During this period, Mr. Coté will not act as a member of the Board of Transport 2000 Québec. The corporation recently recommended to the City of Montreal that it undertake the Phase 1 work of the Bonaventure Expressway transformation project that will allow the creation of the Quartier Bonaventure, the creative and prestigious new city gateway that will provide Montreal's first dedicated corridor reserved for public transportation.
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10 - Sydney hearing will deal with changes to Acadian bus routes"The Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board has added hearings in Sydney and Antigonish for an application by Acadian Intercity Coaches LP to change routes and schedules in the province. ... Acadian's proposed changes would include elimination of a bus run departing Sydney for Halifax at 5 p.m. and another leaving Halifax for Sydney at 10 a.m. And buses now leaving Sydney for Halifax at 6:30 a.m. and 7:30 a.m. would instead depart at 7:30 a.m. and 9:45 a.m. and those leaving Halifax for Sydney at 1:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. would instead depart at 7 a.m. and 12 noon," the Cape Breton Post reported on Feb. 22."John Pearce, a director for the transportation advocacy group Transport 2000, who was seeking the additional hearings, said the three round trips from Sydney to Halifax currently handle nearly 200 passengers daily on average and there are almost 11,000 full-time students at colleges and universities along the route between Truro and Sydney who need low-cost transportation from home to school," the Post's Chris Hayes wrote. http://www.capebretonpost.com/index.cfm?sid=328966&sc=152
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11 - Canada's Electric Vehicles Conference: Vancouver, September 13 to 16Canada's Electric Vehicles Conference and Trade Show will be taking place in Vancouver, September 13 to 16, 2010 at the Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. Following the great success of the PHEV '09 Conference in Montreal, EV 2010 VÉ will welcome over 60 speakers from Canada, USA, Europe and Asia, offering delegates an unprecedented learning opportunity covering technical, business and policy discussions for electric mobility.
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12 - La Conférence PHEV '09 à MontréalLa conférence et le salon commercial se tiendra à Vancouver du 13 au 16 septembre 2010 au Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre. S'inscrivant dans l'élan produit par la réussite de la Conférence PHEV '09 à Montréal, EV 2010 VÉ accueillera plus de 60 conférenciers provenant du Canada, des É.-U., de l'Europe et de l'Asie, offrant ainsi aux participants une opportunité d'apprentissage hors pair, abordant des thèmes techniques, commerciaux et politiques liés à la mobilité électrique.
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13 - Record week for Vancouver public transit: 1.6 million per day peopleOn Feb. 21 CBC News reported: "TransLink, the public transit authority in Metro Vancouver, says a record number of people used public transit during the first week of the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver. On average, more than 1.6 million people are using the public transit system each day."CBC News reported preliminary daily averages:
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14 - More efficient pricing can help solve parking problems: VTPI"Efficient parking pricing can provide numerous benefits including increased turnover and therefore improved user convenience, parking facility cost savings, reduced traffic problems, and increased revenues. This report provides guidance on parking pricing implementation. It describes parking pricing benefits and costs, ways to overcome common obstacles and objections, and examples of successful parking pricing programs. Parking pricing is best implemented as part of an integrated parking management program. Current trends are increasing the benefits of efficient parking pricing. Legitimate objections to parking pricing can be addressed with appropriate policies and strategies," Victoria Transport Policy Institute reported on Feb. 24.http://www.vtpi.org/parkpricing.pdf
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