"The lack of a carbon tax on automobile gasoline and the proposed offsetting subsidies on diesel fuel used by trucks blunt the intentions of encouraging fuel-efficient autos and public passenger transport and of shipping freight by the most energy-efficient means. Shipping goods by rail is three times more efficient for an average container and six to eight times for heavy freight, such as liquids (fuels and chemicals), minerals, grains, fertilizers and lumber," Pearce wrote in the Sept. 13 Chronicle-Herald.
"Pourtant, Paul Lewis rappelle qu'après l'effondrement du pont de la Concorde, "les sociétés de transport se sont adaptées en quelques heures pour assurer un service supplémentaire". Le professeur de l'Université de Montréal pense plutôt "qu'une vraie journée sans voiture serait intolérable". Serait-ce alors par peur de susciter une trop vive opposition de la part des 70 % d'automobilistes que le symbole reste si faible?" Voir a rapporté.
"Debate on public infrastructure is healthy. We have great respect for Rob McIsaac of Metrolinx but on this issue we beg to differ. The projected demand on Eglinton, in our view, recommends the TTC LRT plan," Transport 2000 Ontario's Natalie Litwin says.
The Metrolinx plan is expected to be officially released soon.
This summer giant trucks were the subject of US Congressional hearings.
"There are many aspects of heavier, bigger trucks that make them more dangerous. For example, a 100,000-pound truck takes 25 percent longer to stop than an 80,000-pound truck. A 120,000 pound truck can travel as much as 50 percent further before stopping than an 80,000 pound truck, especially if these heavy trucks have unadjusted brakes. Federal standards require passenger cars to stop in 215 feet, but big tractor-trailers are allowed to take up to 355 feet in which to come to a stop, the length of a football field. Where a fully loaded big rig at the current maximum weight of 80,000 pounds is required to come to a stop in 355 feet, a 100,000 pound truck would take 444 feet and a 120,000 pound truck would take 533 feet to stop," Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety's Gerald Donaldson testified as reported by CQ Transcriptions on July 9.
Transport 2000 Canada is opposed to the move on both safety and environmental grounds.
"It seems to me that they're rather quick to implement charges (on checking extra bags and pillows) and fuel surcharges when prices go up, so we'd expect to see the same type of reaction when prices are going down," said Michael Janigan, executive director of the Ottawa-based Public Interest Advocacy Centre.
"Most observers would feel that fuel is trading down, so it's reasonable to expect that consumers should benefit from that." He questioned whether carriers are now using the fuel surcharges - initially described as an industry lifeline - to boost profits," the Gazette reported.
The next day Air Canada eliminated its second bag fee and folded its fuel surcharges into advertised fares and Westjet eliminated its fuel surcharge.
"(P)erhaps Harper could explain his government's determination to follow the U.S. example by shedding responsibility for aviation safety. His government has put in place something called the Airline Safety Management System.
"Under SMS the old system of mandatory rules and government inspections of aircraft are replaced by voluntary reporting and self-regulation by the airlines. Government inspectors check the airlines' paper work, but they do far fewer safety inspections themselves. SMS has been formalized in Bill C-7, a government bill that was waiting for third reading when Parliament was dissolved for the election," the Waterloo Region Record reported.
Transport 2000 Canada testified in opposition to C-7 during House of Common's committee hearings last year.
The CUTA study released Sept. 16 concluded: The economically and socially optimal level of transit supply in 2006 would have required an estimated 1.7 billion vehicle-kilometres of transit service, or 74 percent more service than actually supplied; and, in 2006, capital investment of $78.1 billion would have been required to bring the supply of transit into line with the optimal conditions
A proposal that got the crowd cheering was outlined by Rees. He proposed the government spend $1 million on a pilot project to hire an existing train company to operate light rail for transportation using existing CN railroad lines," the Chilliwack Timers reported on Sept. 16.
A regional commuter train was first proposed by Ottawa mayor Larry O'Brien, and since then has grabbed the imaginations of councils and economic development groups on both the Ontario and Quebec sides of the Ottawa River.
TransporAction is a "many-origin to many-destination" service, different from a "many-origin to few-destination" morning and evening commuter service, although it was tasked with helping to save the one daily Thom commuter bus (autocar) to Ottawa from the Pontiac.
TA P uses small buses, vans, taxis and passenger autos to move people for health & social services, education, employment, shopping and cultural purposes.
The steam train ceased operations in May after a landslide near its tracks. Its owner subsequently put the train up for sale, interrupting a beneficial tourism transport service: the train used to bring 50,000 to 60,000 tourists into Wakefield each year, generating close to $10 million in revenues.