1976 - 2001 Transport 2000 Canada Celebrates 25th Anniversary
TransportAction is published bi-monthly by Transport 2000
Canada, a national federation of consumers devoted to the public interest
in transportation.
Publié à tous les deux mois par Transport 2000 Canada, une
fédération nationale d’usagers dont le but est de voir
à l’avancement de l’intérêt public en
matière de transport.
Bureau National Office
Suite 100, 117 Sparks St.
Ottawa, ON
P.O. Box 858, Stn. B
Ottawa, ON. K1P 5P9
Officers
President: Harry Gow
Editor/Office Mgr.: Bert Titcomb
Membership: Martin Collicott
Tel. (613) 594-3290
Fax. (613) 594-3271
Hotline 1-800-771-5035
EMail: t2000@transport2000.ca
Web: www.transport2000.ca
In This Issue ....
On behalf of all the members of Transport 2000 Canada, the Board of Directors extend our sincere condolences to everyone who lost relatives or friends in the tragic acts of terrorism on September 11th in New York City and Washington.
The government is expected to insure up to the limit of previosuly existing policies, commonly $1.5 billion for large airlines and airports. Shortly after the terrorist hijackings on September 11th, insurance companies notified airlines and airports worldwide that their coverage for acts of war and terrorism would be terminated as of Monday, September 24th. The insurance offer applies to all Canadian airlines, including Air Canada, Canada 3000 and WestJet; 251 airports across Canada; NAV Canada, the Air Transport Security Corporation; and other companies that provide service at airports such as ground handling and refuelling.
Before the attacks, major airports and large carriers such as Air Canada commonly carried $1.5 billion worth of insurance against acts of terrorism. But after September 11th, insurance companies would only offer coverage up to $50 million for airlines and refused to offer any coverage at all for airports.
The insurance crisis has affected airlines worldwide, most of which are insured by three major companies: AON, Willis, and Marsh. The Australian government has agreed to provide war and terrorism coverage for Qantas and all other large Australian carriers. The United States Congress passed a $15 billion relief package for all carriers in the U.S.A. The European Union has also agreed that governments can act as insurers of last resort.
As the world reels from the deadly terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Sept. 11th will certainly be remembered as a day that changed our nations forever. Throughout the ordeal, the ... public transport community has had much the same reaction as the general population: shock, anger, sadness, and a overwhelming desire to help.
...public transport has once again shown that it is uniquely positioned to respond quickly, reliably and efficiently to a crisis. ... transit agencies (and Amtrak, VIA, and motorcoach operators, H.G.) played an important role in moving people away from affected areas, delivering them where they needed to go, and doing what they could to restore calm.
As airports were shut down across Canada and the USA, people rediscovered intercity trains and buses. Typical was the journalist, stranded in Toronto on his way to Winnipeg, who took the “Silver and Blue” VIA Canadian service from Toronto to Winnipeg and who liked what he experienced for - probably - the first time. Ridership on the VIA Ocean service was up 70% in the days following the attacks; in the Central corridor it was up 30% and it would have been more had VIA any more cars. Amtrak showed similar results especially on its long-distance trains. Luckily the Acela high speed service was in place for the duration, with National Airport in Washington D.C. shut down for four weeks and no air shuttles to New York the trains were carrying sellout crowds. The service frequency was augmented at September’s end. The Toronto Transit Commission, like many other transit systems, introduced additional frequencies for an early rush hour on Sept. 11.
As the continent began to recover from the trauma, a lot of thinking was going on in the capitals and elsewhere as to the future of transport. The first reaction in Washington was to offer massive aid to the airlines to compensate for the enforced shutdown’s losses, followed by efforts by Congressmen to get extra help to Amtrak to repair 50 cars held at Beech Grove, and to enhance safety and capacity. No such move was publicly suggested by any Canadian politician for VIA despite Transport 2000's numerous calls in the media for consideration of the idea. An appointment for October 4th made by the Hon. David Collenette, Minister of Transport with us, to discuss a VIA Rail Canada Act was delayed because of the airline problems, so we have had no opportunity to progress on this or other VIA dossiers.
The Canadian government did offer 160 million dollars to the airline industry to compensate for lost revenue, and it took over responsibility for insurance for a limited time. Transport 2000 did acknowledge the previously-announced 401 million dollar grant to VIA for 139 new cars, some new locomotives and infrastructure, but stated that VIA would need double the amount to make meaningful improvements across the country.
Transport 2000 has called repeatedly for a Transport Efficiency Act and fund before and since the Sept. 11 events, but the result has been negative.
Coincidentally, since these events, the Ontario government has announced it will take back control of GO Transit, and invest 9 billion dollars in transit in 10 years, and the Québec government has announced an expenditure of 14.5 million dollars for the Blainville line; refurbishing 10 more commuter rail cars, lengthen trains from 8 to 10 cars, and lengthen platforms to match, etc.
At the same time, VIA has announced it will abolish such exurban stops as Maxville, Prescott and Trenton Jct. So much for the scheme for VIA to provide wider-area commuter services than can GO or the AMT! Perhaps VIA will restore service to the CPR transcon line in the West, at least Hon. David Collenette has talked about it.
So perhaps there are some rays of sunlight to penetrate the ambient gloom. Other signs of this is the second report by the Airline Observer, Debra Ward, which shows that the T2000 idea of a Passenger Bill of Rights is not dead.
I can report on a personal level that I have been contracted to help coordinate and improve rural passenger transport services in the Outaouais with funding from Health Canada, in the context of concern about the isolation of the transport-deprived rural areas, and about the increasing sedentariness and consequent health problems of a car-dependant society. The events show a need for a rethinking of how we provide and use passenger and freight transport services.
The events show a need for a rethinking of how we provide and use passenger and freight transport services. Transport 2000 is there to help the authorities to remember this and to consider the alternatives.
You can help us by reminding your elected representatives of your desire for improved surface public transport and intermodal freight and for greater safety and security in the air.
Harry Gow
President
The recent Smog Summit presented by the Toronto Atmospheric Fund provided many insights into our quest for a world sensitive to the health effects of climate change, smog and transportation sustainability. But lessons in smoggery were plentiful on the 7:00 a.m. bus from Kitchener to Toronto to attend the conference.
The traffic slowdown occurred 45 minutes after leaving Kitchener and 20 minutes earlier than was usual a decade ago. The bus switched from Hwy 401 to the new toll road 407 where we crept along at 20 mph beside sprawling walled Mississauga suburbs. Premier Harris's pronouncement, "We are going to build more roads" seemed totally outrageous. It took over two hours to reach downtown Toronto.
At the Summit, the audience was told that what comes out of our tailpipes goes right into our bodies. It has been determined that smog causes 1,000 premature deaths in Toronto every year. Yet highway transportation, which damages our lives most, continues to be the most subsidized.
Global climate change could result in the spread of infectious disease such as the West Nile virus into Ontario. Vast shifts of money will be needed in health care as natural disasters, such as floods, droughts, severe storms double every decade and we run out of water, forests, and fuel.
The snow covers of African mountains are disappearing with the threat that the great rivers of Africa, like the Nile and the Niger, will dry up causing climate enforced migrations accompanied by enormous health crises. Although climate change was characterized at the Summit as the most critical threat to the planet, representatives from cities around the world gave illustrations of what must be done to reduce emissions by 50%.
Setting hard targets is worth doing and they are achievable. Thousands of people can save small amounts of energy. In Melbourne, Australia, the travel patterns of city staff have been charted. Innovation begins at home. Helsinki planners allow no city deserts where there are only cars and nothing else happens. Land is taxed on the basis of its planned use, not its actual use.
Travel in Copenhagen is divided evenly with one third of trips each for cars, bicycles, and transit. Bicycle lanes exist on all streets! A Copenhagen family typically has one car and four bicycles. Tourists have the use of 5,000 city bikes. In Copenhagen, only 17% of pollutants come from traffic compared to 35% for other cities.
In Vancouver, all new transportation will be public transport. No new expressways will be built, and complete communities will be planned to reduce emissions. The Summit was told that in Portland, Oregon, all the elements of quality of life are being observed. In the Greater Toronto Area, all trends are going in the wrong direction.
Ron Neville, consultant to the Toronto Board of Trade, introduced a strategy for rail based transportation in the GTA. He told the Summit that the wealthiest cities have rail based transportation as a background to an integrated transportation system. Rail is the only surface transportation facility that will get large numbers of people out of their cars.
This plan would see light rail and an expanded GO Transit system provide frequent service with connectors to the subway system at many points throughout the city. The commutershed part of this strategy includes Kitchener-Waterloo, Barrie, and Niagara Falls. The network is intended to slow the growth of gridlock so evident on the Kitchener - Toronto rush hour bus.
Whatever it takes must be done to get the out-of-step Ontario government to stop lavishing billions of dollars on highways while providing nothing for public trans-portation. The region of Waterloo is studying a plan for a light rail spine, Cambridge - Elmira, as a backbone of an integrated public transportation system and we are on the commutershed map of the rail based strategy plan for Toronto.
The answer is not more roads, it's fewer vehicles.
George Bechtel
Kitchener, ON
Public Security Minister, Serge Ménard, blamed the police officers union for a summertime of carnage on the province's roads. He issued an ultimatum to the police union, which had decided to all but cease issuing speeding tickets, to start cracking down on lead-footed motorists by Labour Day or face reprisals. He blamed the police pressure tactics for a 22 per cent rise in injuries on highways in July 2000.
Vacationers who took to the Quebec roads last summer saw scant evidence of a police presence, leading many of them to openly flout speed limits. One TV crew used radar to monitor traffic one week on Highway 132, a commuter roadway just south of Montreal, and clocked one motorist zipping along at 171 kph. In two days of filming, the crew spotted a total of two police cars.
Mr. Ménard said the death and injury toll belied the union's assurances that they wouldn't endanger the public to meet their contract demands.
This is basic physics
It is not rocket science
Suggestion #1: Make sure your seatbelts and air-bags are inspected annually. They may save your life.
Suggestion #2: Drive defensively and reduce speed. Slower speeds will allow you to reduce fuel consumption which will reduce pollution into the environment.
Dear Mr. Collenette:
Transport 2000 Canada extends its strong support for your proposal to improve the intermodal split in Canada by transferring more freight from road to rail.
The transport sector is responsible for over 25 per cent of green house gas emissions in Canada. Moving freight or people by means of a steel wheel on a steel rail is the most efficient method to do so. Higher efficiency means; less fuel consumption, less pollution and the opportunity to safeguard our natural resources. Future generations will benefit when this proposal becomes a reality.
Traffic congestion has become a major problem in many countries. Transport officials in many parts of the world have realized that one cannot solve highway congestion by building more and more roads. One solution is to provide an alternative - make better use of our railways. The Railway Association of Canada has stated that one freight train can replace 250 trucks.
In closing, we recommend that this proposal be implemented as soon as possible.
Yours truly
Harry Gow
President
Hubbell stated that this section carries 24 trains in the peak hour/peak direction, with a possible maximum of 28 trains. With a new signal system this could be increased to 40. Use of high platforms cuts dwell time at stations.
Mike Lowenger, v.p. of regulatory affairs and operations for the Railway Association of Canada, said NOx emissions were 6.8 per cent below their voluntary cap for the year, and carbon dioxide CO2 declined by more than five per cent each year since 1997. These findings are contained in the RAC's latest filing with Environment Canada under terms of Memorandum of Understanding among the Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment, and the industry association, signed in 1995 and covering the period 1990 - 2005.
"The reasons for the government-industry initiative are self-evident," said Mr. Lowenger. "Transportation is the largest single contributor to the production of Canadian greenhouse gases (GHG), generating about 27 per cent of the Canadian total. Road vehicles, primarily auto-mobiles, account for 82 per cent, aviation nine per cent, marine five per cent, and rail four per cent."
Rail carries slightly more than half of all ton-miles moved in Canada, while generating only four per cent of GHGs. Although trucks carry most of balance, they produce 22.8 per cent of all transportation GHGs, according to the National Climate Change Process Foundation Paper, published in December 1998.
The RAC report for 1999 shows that the year's freight traffic was 22 per cent higher than in 1990, inter-city rail passenger travel increased some 50 per cent - from four million to almost six million riders, and total fuel consumption by Canadian railways was down by 5.3 per cent over the decade.
Traffic noise is a combination of the noises produced by the engine, exhaust, and the tires. The loudness can also be increased by defective mufflers or other faulty equipment on the vehicles. Any condition (such as a steep incline) that causes heavy labouring of motor vehicle engines will also increase traffic noise levels. Traffic noise is not usually a serious problem for people who live more than 500 feet from heavily travelled freeways. Noise barriers are not very effective in reducing the noises generated by moving traffic.
Traffic noise levels depends on three factors:
In the last few years there has been a significant increase in the number of trucks on Ontario highways. Con-sequently, traffic noise has become a major source of pollution in Ottawa and the region. One heavy truck produces the same noise level as 32 cars! Many OC Transpo buses generate noise levels over 90 decibels when they pull away from a bus stop.
Noise is invisible. Defining its impact on people and the environment is more difficult than with other environmental pollutants such as air or water. It is a common misconception that one can adjust to noise by ignoring it or getting used to it. The ear never closes and is continually responding to sound even during sleep.
Noise can:
|
|
95/96
|
96/97
|
97/98
|
98/99
|
99/00
|
00/01
|
| Docklands |
14
|
16.7
|
21
|
27.6
|
31.3
|
38.4
|
| Tyne & Wear |
35.8
|
35.4
|
35
|
33.8
|
32.7
|
32.5
|
| Manchester |
13
|
13.4
|
13.8
|
13.2
|
14.2
|
17.2
|
| Sheffield |
5
|
7.8
|
9.2
|
10.4
|
10.9
|
11.1
|
| Midland |
4.8
|
5.4
|
||||
| Croydon |
15
|
|||||
| Total |
67.8
|
73.3
|
79
|
85
|
93.9
|
119
|
Transport Minister Sally Keeble said recently, “I am delighted by today’s figures, which show a large increase in the number of journeys on light rail systems. This is further evidence of how successful light rail has been in appealing to users, by providing a modern, attractive, fast alternative to the car. Trams can play a key role in reducing congestion, which is shown in that around 20 per cent of light rail passengers previously travelled by car. In addition to raising the standards of service and quality of public transport, they also help improve the urban environment and contribute to urban regeneration.”
These photos demonstrated clearly that more freight should be transported on freight trains instead of using heavy trucks. Both C.N. and C.P.R. have had discussions with Mr. Collenette on this subject. Why does the Ministry of Transport of Ontario resist this proposal? If a freight train can carry the same loading as 275 trucks, it would appear to be a very useful method to extend the life of existing highways and avoid the need to spend billions of taxpayers dollars on building new highways or widening existing ones. Road repair costs would decrease significantly.
Reduced fuel consumption would allow Canada to conserve its natural resources of petroleum. Reduced fuel consumption also means less air pollution. All Canadians will benefit.
Claiming Canada is becoming too reliant on airlines, Prairie Region Transport 2000 is calling on the feds to reexamine rail links. George Wooldridge, president of the group, said the Prairie Region had voted recently in support of a resolution asking the federal government to invest $2 billion in intercity passenger rail travel rather than giving $3 billion to bail out Air Canada.
The group is also calling on the Liberals to reverse the privatization of airport security. It wants city police forces and RCMP to resume policing of airports.
“If you look at Europe and the U.K. especially who’ve had a great deal more experience of terrorism than North America, having municipal or national police at their airport facilities or even military in some cases, has worked,” said Wooldridge. “They’ve done quite an admirable job over the past 20 years of keeping their countries safe.”
The group plans to present its resolution to federal, provincial and municipal governments.
The south Florida county of 2.2 million people would require motorists who are caught talking on their cell-phones as of October 2002 to pay a fine or take a traffic safety course.
The fine would be $250 U.S. for the first offence and $500 for subsequent offences. Using hands-free devices such as headsets or earphones, or pulling the vehicle over to make a call would still be legal.
If granted, it will give the government sweeping powers over how the company spends its money. Railtrack must spend billions to improve the rail network. The company is on the brink of bankruptcy and is set to be taken into administration by the government according to the BBC.
New administrators, expected to be from Ernst & Young, will take control of the day-to-day operation of the company. Railtrack will then be restructured, potentially into a “not for profit” trust, where profits are reinvested rather than given to shareholders.
BBC transport correspondent, Tom Symonds, said, “by taking legal action, the government is showing clearly its lack of confidence in the company.” Another spokesperson stated, “the part of Railtrack directly related to operating the railways should be held in a not-for-profit public investment company. The obscene conflict between passenger safety and shareholder profit would be over.”
In a recent Labour Party conference, Prime Minister Tony Blair stated, “There are areas where the private sector has worked well and areas where, as with parts of the railways, it’s been a disaster.” At the same conference, Transport Secretary Stephen Byers said the government would not renationalize Railtrack because it would be too expensive at about 8 billion pounds. Earlier this year, Railtrack Chairman John Robinson apologized for the company’s “appalling” performance.
Railtrack was a successful company in its first year of operations, but things started to go wrong in late 1999. First came the rail crash at Ladbroke Grove, which led to recommendations that billions of pounds be invested in safety systems. This was followed in October 2000 by the crash at Hatfield, which was caused by a broken rail. As a result, the UK rail network was thrown into chaos for months as tracks were repaired up and down the country, and led to the collapse of the company’s share price.
Meanwhile, the cost to modernize the West Coast mainline between London and Glasgow has rocketed, with the bill now standing at 6 billion pounds. Transport experts claim Railtrack now has “absolutely no hope” of raising the money needed to pay for the planned expansion of the railways.
This means that the government’s target of carrying 50 per cent more passengers in 10 years time cannot be achieved unless drastic action is taken.