Transport 2000 Canada Hot Line

21 November 2008

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline, issue number 995, for 21 November 2008.

In this issue...

1 - Calendar

Nov. 24: Transport 2000 Canada Executive/Steering Committee meeting

Nov. 27: Public meeting in Sault Ste. Marie on rail passenger services

Dec. 26: Hotline 1000 will be dictated by its initiator

2 - Record setting transit ridership: David Jeanes, Transport 2000

"With gas prices at their lowest in years, some public transit advocates are concerned that the record-setting ridership figures tallied across Canada in recent months could dwindle quickly if transit services aren't up to snuff. A Statistics Canada report, released Thursday, reported that 131.9 million public transit trips were made aboard city buses, subways, streetcars and light rail in 10 major urban centres in September, up from 126.6 million a year earlier," Canwest News Service reported on Nov. 20.

"It was the highest total recorded since Statistics Canada first began recording monthly transit ridership in January 2003. The second-highest ridership reported was in March 2007, when 129.9 million passenger trips were reported.

"We were predicting (the start of the school year) would be important, but that's a seasonal trend," Transport 2000's David Jeanes said. "What's piled on top of that is the massive shift to transit that resulted from fuel-price increases in the summer." But, he warned, with the current decline in fuel prices, "we don't know if this will continue. People do change their habits fairly quickly based on gas prices. People tend to be reluctant to switch to transit until the price gets very high, but once they switch to transit, whether they switch back when the (gas) price goes down depends on the quality of transit they had."

He said that if people have complaints of overcrowding and unreliable service, they won't hesitate to go back to driving their own vehicles while gas prices remain low.

3 - Financement des transports en commun: Normand Parisien, Transport 2000

"Lors d'un colloque sur la Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal, le maire de Montréal, Gérald Tremblay, a plaidé hier en faveur de péages régionaux... si Québec ou Ottawa ne donne pas à la CMM l'argent pour bonifier l'offre de transports en commun. Interrogé peu après sur le sujet, Jean Charest a fermé la porte à une hausse de la taxe d'accise sur l'essence," La Presse a rapporté le 20 novembre.

"Un dollar investi en infrastructures génère 17 sous d'amélioration de la productivité d'une entreprise, ce qui lui permet d'investir par exemple dans la formation professionnelle ou dans la recherche et développement, dit M. Tremblay. Je ne comprends pas que ce message ne passe pas alors qu'on perd un milliard en pertes de productivité par an, sans compter les problèmes de santé que ça génère."

Directeur de Transport 2000, Normand Parisien, note un changement de perceptions. "Depuis 2002, Montréal soutient notre proposition sur les péages, dit-il. Les villes de banlieue, surtout sur la Rive-Nord, sont plus réfractaires, mais on note un cheminement."

4 - Daytime train good news for Saskatchewan: Ronald Haskell, Transport 2000

"Take it easy... take the train" is the old slogan. And it's about to get a lot more easy for people in Saskatchewan," News Talk 980 reported. "For people wanting to experience the romance of riding the rails, right now it's not very convenient ... in the middle of the night. Via Rail is changing that next month, so the Canadian will now make its Saskatchewan stops in the daytime. That pleases Ronald Haskell of ... Transport 2000, who says it's good news for people in Regina as well, since they'll now be able to take an STC bus to Melville and transfer to the train on the same day.

"Increased use of the train ... will help bolster the group's arguments for expanded service, such as the restoration of the old southern (CPR) route through Regina," News Talk 980 reported on Nov. 15.

5 - Halifax truckway plan: Future is rail: John Pearce, Transport 2000

The Halifax Chronicle-Herald published a letter by Transport 2000's John Pearce in support of the Ecology Action Centre. The Centre is concerned about the plan to use the CN Rail cut to provide access for trucks to the Halterm container port and for passenger transit buses into downtown Halifax.

"First, the long-term future of container traffic in Nova Scotia is one of growth. The new terminal at Melford and a proposed facility in Sydney is evidence of business belief in that future. CN is aware of this and is unlikely to part with the right-of-way under any circumstances.

"In any case, the rail cut still contains significant portions of second track in south-end Halifax and from Fairview to Prince's Lodge. Even where track has been removed, the cut is not sufficiently wide for trains and trucks/transit buses to safely operate side by side, according to Transport Canada safety standards. The cut would have to be widened by blasting rock and rebuilding street bridges at tremendous cost."

"... the future of medium- to long-haul freight transport lies in rail and not truck because rail freight is three to six times more energy efficient and pollution free. So from both a fuel cost and a pollution perspective, rail freight is the way to go. A rail shuttle to a suburban Waverley site or to Burnside Industrial Park is the right solution," the Nov. 18 Chronicle-Herald letter said.

6 - CN turns 90: Born of the credit crunch of 1918

On November 18, 90 years ago, CN (Canadian National Railways) was formed by the Canadian government from five private railways in difficulty (with) a credit squeeze emanating from the U.K. where the war effort diverted credit from banks there. Included were the Grand Trunk, Grand Trunk Pacific, the Intercolonial, the Canadian Northern and the National Transcontinental Railways.

7 - Regina Bus Terminal opens: Catherine Verrall, Transport 2000

"Transport 2000 rejoices with the Saskatchewan Transportation Co. (STC) and the people of Saskatchewan as the new Regina bus terminal is opened for service. We commend the current Saskatchewan government for honouring the vision and commitment of the previous government," Transport 2000's Catheine Verrall wrote in the Regina Leader-Post on Nov. 19.

"By strengthening our public transportation system, we are providing viable alternatives to burning fossil fuels. We are strengthening the infrastructure ... which can adapt to increasing storms, drought and flash floods. We are providing alternatives to private car and truck transport as the planet's cheap fossil fuel sources dwindle.

"We are providing pleasant, safe, economical, guilt-free transportation and services essential to many citizens. We are creating healthy communities. Now the challenge is to each citizen, "Come aboard -- ride the bus," the Leader-Post letter said.

8 - Monty Python's Michael Palin: Transport 2000 UK

At a recent fundraising event, Michael Palin thrilled and amused 900 people with tales of his adventures. Michael has been Transport 2000 UK president for 22 years. Palin said: "This organization continues to impress me... Getting transport right is one of the big issues, and it's their specialty."

Some photos from the event: http://www.bettertransport.org.uk/

9 - School bus drivers: recruitment difficult

"Recruiting school bus drivers is so competitive that bus companies find it difficult to perform character reference checks on potential hires, says a manager for the bus company that fired a driver after he was caught drinking in an idling school bus," the Ottawa Citizen reported.

"While police checks are mandatory, it's uncommon for school bus companies to call previous employers in the bus industry, said Lilabette Leduc, manager for the Ontario operations of Quesnel Buslines, which operates about 500 buses in Ontario and Quebec.

"Bus companies find it difficult to recruit and retain drivers, she said" the Citizen reported on Nov. 18.

10 - Pacific Coastal Airlines: Seven dead

Transportation Safety Board investigators were expected to return Monday to the crash site of a Pacific Coastal Airlines plane that claimed seven lives on B.C.'s Sunshine Coast. Sunday's crash, which left one survivor, was the second crash in three months involving a Grumman Goose operated by the Airline," the Vancouver Sun reported on Nov. 17.

The aircraft involved, the Grumman Goose, is revered as 'the little plane that could.' It was built from 1937 to 1945 and had a history of high life, war service, and as a coastal workhorse, the Province reported on Nov. 7.

The Grumman Goose was the Learjet of its day. Wealthy businessmen living on Long Island in New York used the amphibious aircraft to commute to Manhattan in luxury. Of the 345 built, only about 50 are still airworthy.

"The Grumman G-21 typically is powered by twin 450-horsepower Pratt and Whitney Wasp Jr. nine-cylinder, air-cooled radial engines mounted on the leading edge of high-set wings. The earlier aircraft were decked out in luxurious splendour and were nicknamed "flying yachts."

11 - Why not a bullet train for Vancouver-Seattle: Transport 2000 Lemon for CBSA?

"Not much hope as new service stalled by Ottawa bureaucracy," The Province reported on Nov. 17.

"Now that the business boom is over and B.C. is in a bit of an economic tailspin, we need ... to encourage more U.S. tourists to visit -- which shouldn't be too hard if we don't put up roadblocks in their way. But that's exactly what Ottawa seems to have been doing. For months, it has been holding up plans for an improved Vancouver-Seattle rail service that would bring millions of dollars to our region".

The report speculates about the benefits of a high-speed rail connection but notes: "You can't even go from Vancouver to Seattle by train and back on the same day".

"All that was supposed to change, according to an announcement in March 2007 by B.C. Transportation Minister Kevin Falcon about agreed track improvements for a second Amtrak train. What has happened since then? Well, according to Falcon, the work on a passing track in Delta was completed well over six months ago. But the new and improved Vancouver-Seattle service hit an impasse in the form of the Canada Border Services Agency. The CBSA wants to impose "significant costs" for doing routine custom checks on the second train. "They're treating it not as increased service, but as a whole new service, which we would argue doesn't make any sense," the minister told the Province.

"The minister plans to lobby the federal minister in charge of the CBSA. CBSA spokeswoman Faith St. John confirmed her agency has been in discussions with Amtrak about providing services for a second train. But she says it would be "inappropriate" for her to comment further", The Province reported.

In fact the CBSA has been stonewalling an Access to Information request on the matter by Transport 2000 for months, and has made it clear the information will not be coming any time soon. The CBSA and the Deputy Minister in charge of it have been nominated for a Transport 2000 Canada Lemon Prize.

12 - Rethinking road safety: Traffic reductions and shifts to alternative modes

Victoria Transport Policy Institute reports "A new blog describes a paradigm shift that is changing the way transportation professionals think about safety. The new paradigm recognizes that crash risk increases with per capita vehicle mileage, so policies that stimulate vehicle travel tend to increase crashes, while traffic reductions and shifts to alternative modes tend to increase safety and health. This new approach expands the scope of traffic safety strategies to include mobility management and smart growth. These strategies reduce total crashes and provide co-benefits such as congestion reduction, road and parking facility cost savings, consumer savings, energy conservation, pollution reductions, improved mobility for non-drivers, and improved public fitness and health.

http://www.planetizen.com/node/36138

13 - Transit News: Ottawa

A vote Wednesday by the combined Transit and Transportation Committees of Ottawa's City Council resulted in a motion to proceed with work towards implementation of the City's controversial Transit Plan was defeated. Transportation Chair Councillor Maria McCrae cast the deciding vote. The matter will come up again next week but the plan now seems to be in danger.

14 - Transit News: Gatineau

The Rapibus project in Gatineau has run into problems and is running several months late. Environmental problems and unsuspected problems with unmapped underground services at the site of a projected underpass at Greber Boulevard seem to be behind the delay.

15 - Transit News: Vancouver

Bombardier Transport and the City of Vancouver have signed a sponsorship agreement which will have two FLEXITY trams running on the City's downtown Streetcar Demonstration Project for 60 days in 2010, including during the Winter Olympics. The tramline will use the existing Downtown Historic Railway and connect Granville Island with the Canada Line Olympic Village Station.

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www.transport2000.ca.