Transport 2000 Canada Hot Line

Friday 27 April 2001

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline, issue number 599, recorded on 27th April 2001, our 25th anniversary year, Darrell Richards reporting.

In this issue...

1 - Orange Prize to Collenette
2 - Alberta Boosts Highway Spending
3 - Saskatchewan Boosts Highway Spending
4 - Prairie Alliance Rail Project
5 - Saint John Transit Strike

1 - Orange Prize

Harry Gow, President of Transport, presented an orange prize to federal Transport Minister David Collenette to recognize his hard work to improve public transportation and sustainable development. Gow said: "As an advocacy group for better public transport, Transport 2000 Canada spends much time in arguing for sustainable development in transport. Today, with the awarding of our orange prize we salute a leader in this endeavour. Since taking over the office of Minister of Transport, the Honourable David Collenette has aggressively pursued a multi-modal approach to sustainable transport policies and projects."

Gow cited the following efforts by the Minister:

Efforts to enhance ferry service between Nfld and the mainland
Efforts to rebuilt rail passenger service have allowed VIA to buy new rolling stock
Work to modernize infrastructure and the Trans Canada highway
Concern for airline passenger welfare during industry consolidation
Study of a light rail option to serve the South Shore of Montreal

Alberta Boosts Spending

The Alberta budget will increase government spending 24 per cent over last year, including $3.2 billion of which is earmarked for one-time programs including highway construction.

Saskatchewan Boosts Highway Spending

The Saskatchewan budget will provide $900 million for highways over the coming three years. Increased trucking of grain is damaging the province's secondary highways. Between 60% and 90% of commercial grain trucks in the province are operating overweight due to lack of enforcement.

Prairie Alliance

The Prairie Alliance for the Future (PAFF), a Western Canadian organization dedicated to creating a regional grain collection and transportation system, has undertaken the next stage in its campaign to inform producers about the PAFF plan to lease and operate CN branch lines in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

Over 25 industry leaders attended an academic workshop April 19, at the University of Saskatchewan to analyze the Prairie Alliance for the Future (PAFF), proposal to establish a vertically integrated systems approach to the current grain handling and transportation system in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The workshop titled Transportation and Co-operation - Opportunities for Producer Involvement in the Western Rail Network was initiated by PAFF, and hosted by the Centre for the Study of Co-operatives and the Department of Agricultural Economics.

PAFF would lease 1,636 kilometres of prairie branch line from CN. CP is also considering a transfer of its grain branch lines.

Transit Strikes

The TransLink strike continues in B.C. - generally most Vancouver buses and Seabus are affected.

However, there is a 4% bus service reduction to happen in June due to the blocking of the motor vehicle levy.

Transit workers in Saint John NB may be off the job next Tuesday, which could affect students going to school.

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