Transport 2000 Canada Hotline

26 January 2001

Summary

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline for 26 January 2001, Darrell Richards reporting.

1 - Light Rail Expansion

Ottawa Mayor Bob Chiarelli told the Ottawa Citizen newspaper that the City should not wait two years before starting planning work on expansion of the initial 8 kilometre light rail line. He said the pilot project 8 kilometre line between LeBreton Flats and South Keyes should be made a permanent service. Extensions to the north-south line would go to the airport, downtown Ottawa and downtown Hull. An east west system could go from South Keyes to Kanata North, Barrhaven, and Cumberland. He said the City should tap into a $2.5 billion federal infrastructure program that will have money available April 1.

2 - Parking at Kingston Station

VIA is now charging to park at the Kingston station. You have to buy a ticket from a dispensing machine in order to use the lot. So buying a train ticket will require a parking ticket routine. So will meeting passengers. The concession is run by Quebec -based Gestipark. The cost is 0.50 per hr./3.00 day. The machine does not accept toonies. Parking at the airport is 3.00 for unlimited time controlled by a coin operated gate.

Meanwhile, the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa has recently scrapped its high tech automated parking gate because many clients were unable to leave the lot. It has gone back to a human operated system. Tried, tested and true?

3 - Fuel Costs Hit U.S. Railroads

A Reuters article indicates that weakness in the economy coupled with high fuel costs and winter weather plagued profit margins of U.S. railroads. In the 4th quarter of 2000, Union Pacific earnings declined five per cent. Burlington Northern fell 19 per cent. Norfolk Southern had increased earnings, but its stock price plunged on news of cuts to jobs and dividends. CSX had increased earnings as it cleared up a backlog from the Conrail split up but faced rising fuel costs.

Meanwhile, the National Truckers Association based in Ontario called on the Ontario Government to audit the records of trucking companies to look for evidence of drivers working excessive hours. NTA President Bill Wellman said that rising fuel costs are forcing drivers to falsify their logbooks and drive more than the legal maximum of 60 hours a week.

4 - More Bombardier Train Orders

Bombardier has won a $625 million order to supply subway cars to New York City's Metropolitan Transportation Authority/New York City Transit. The company has also a new order to supply 26 two-car Talent railcars for Germany, with a transborder regional service into Holland. Bombardier talent cars on lease to the City of Ottawa transit system also arrived in Montreal this past week.

5 - Federal Transit Support

An article in Southam News indicates that the Federal Government is considering support for urban transit. Infrastructure funding could be available. Also under consideration is a plan to allow employees to buy transit passes on payroll deduction exempt from income tax. This would level the playing field with parking, whereby the value of most free parking at work is not taxed.

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