Transport 2000 Canada Hot Line

4 December 2009

This is the Transport 2000 Canada Hotline, issue number 1049, for 4 December 2009.

In this issue...

1 - Transit fares should be going down, Transport 2000 says

On Nov. 28 the Montreal Gazette reported: "'What we've proposed to the new board (of the Société de transport de Montréal) is that the STM fall into line with what the Agence métropolitaine de transport and other transit agencies have already announced, which is an increase between 1.75 and 2.25 per cent,' Montreal city councillor and STM finance committee chairperson Marvin Rotrand said yesterday."

"Jean Léveillé, president of the transit users lobby group Transport 2000 Quebec, sees things differently. "Given that from 2002 to 2008, the STM's fare increases have been triple the rate of inflation, our position is that in 2010, fares should have been frozen," he said. Léveillé's group calls for fares to be reduced by 50 per cent over the next 10 years. "It would be a way to increase ridership, because it has to be remembered that public transit must be made competitive with car use ... I've always believed that if you want to attract bees, you have to use honey," Gazette reporter James Mennie wrote.

http://www.montrealgazette.com/business/Transit+fares+going/2279205/story.html

2 - Alberta shelves green transportation plan

"Money budgeted as part of what was once a highly touted $2-billion allocation for "green" light rail and public transportation projects has been quietly shelved this year by the deficit-ridden Alberta government," the Calgary Herald reported on Nov. 30.

"The province's second quarter update released this week shows that at least $10 million in spending that was supposed to go to Green TRIP this budget year has been cancelled, with no specific future spending timeline. On the other hand, CCS projects - with technology aimed at helping the oilpatch and coal industry curb greenhouse gas emissions - are still going ahead. Last week, the government announced it would pay $495 million over 15 years toward the Alberta Carbon Trunk Line," the Herald reported.

http://www2.canada.com/calgaryherald/news/city/story.html?id=13ce797a-f8ea-4bc2-a9f7-38dc6964cb17

3 - Outcry begins over Guelph budget proposals

"Among those items from city staff's "menu of options" for spending reductions and revenue generation are a possible increase in transit fares, and bringing back paid parking downtown. It appears neither will come about without a hue and cry," the Guelph Mercury reported on Nov. 30.

"The city estimates that reinstating paid parking would net about $667,000. ... David Graham, a public transit advocate in the city, said reinstating paid parking downtown could potentially eliminate the need for the city to raise transit fares. He would prefer that alternative to paying more for public transit. One option being examined by the city to manage the budget shortfall is a seven per cent increase in fares, which would raise an estimated $475,000," Mercury reporter Rob O'Flanagan wrote.

http://news.guelphmercury.com/News/article/568273

4 - Greyhound to bring in service reductions in Ontario in the new year

"Greyhound Canada said it will scale back some of its passenger bus services in the province in response to financial losses. ... In all six routes will be reduced or cut as of Jan. 17, Greyhound said. Service on the Trans-Canada Highway between Winnipeg and Thunder Bay will be maintained at two trips a day," the Canadian Press reported on Dec. 2.

"However the run on the Trans-Canada Highway between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie will be reduced from two trips to one trip daily each way, except in the summer when there will be two trips. The route between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie will be cut from three trips to two trips daily each way. One trip daily each way is also being shaved from the Toronto to Niagara Falls route and the Kitchener to London run. Sunday and weekday services are being eliminated on some routes," CP reporter Pat Hewitt wrote.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5hrn7-Lbv3_6NdWr

5 - Michel Labrecque reste à la tête de la STM

« Même s'il n'a pas été réélu dans l'arrondissement du Plateau-Mont-Royal, Michel Labrecque restera président du conseil d'administration de la Société de transport de Montréal (STM). Sa nomination a été retenue, hier, à la fin de la séance du conseil municipal, même si l'opposition a voté contre. C'est en étant désigné représentant des usagers au conseil d'administration (un poste ouvert aux non-élus) qu'il a pu ensuite être recommandé à la présidence de la STM par le maire » Métro a rapporté le 2 décembre.

« Président de la STM depuis janvier, M. Labrecque est reconnu pour son engagement envers le transport en commun, qu'il utilise régulièrement pour se déplacer, car il ne possède pas de permis de conduire. Transport 2000, qui défend les usagers, "accueille avec surprise" cette nomination tout en offrant sa collaboration pour l'avenir » Mathias Marchal a écrit.

http://www.journalmetro.com/linfo/article/385104--michel-labrecque-reste-a-la-tete-de-la-stm

6 - Shocking dismemberment of Acadian Bus Service: Approval rush

"Further study of the Acadian Line brief leaked to Fredericton media in mid-November reveals a shocking dismemberment of the well used services from Halifax to/from Cape Breton. The 25-page brief reveals that Acadian does not lose money in Nova Scotia and, in fact, made a profit of $600,000 in each of 2007 and 2008 with a profit of $1.75 million between 2005 and the estimated 2009 balance sheet. (page 8 of the 25 page brief). Acadian is asking for regulatory approval before year's end," Transport 2000's John Pearce reported on Nov. 30. Pearce notes:

Annapolis Valley: Kentville-Digby

Acadian says Kings Transit already serves these points. There's no room for 2 companies but:

Antigonish-Sydney

Moncton/Halifax - PEI

"Acadian has stated in their 25 page presentation to regulatory boards, that they plan to consolidate their Moncton terminal to their maintenance garage on the periphery of downtown and away from the current modern terminal next a major hotel and the Highfield Square shopping mall and near the VIA station. Yet the main thrust of their proposed changes is to increase fast limited stop services to/from Moncton to Saint John, Fredericton, and Halifax from 3 round trips per day to 4 or 5, focussing on major cities only. Then these buses will drop people on the fringes of downtown instead of in the core as they do now. What kind of a plan is this," Transport 2000's John Pearce wrote.

7 - Hamilton airport lease remains secret: CATCH News

"Councillors overwhelming rejected a report from the legal department that refused to release any portion of the annual audits of the company managing the airport. Brad Clark asked for the release of at least the majority of the secret reports eighteen months ago saying he thought this would help allay public concerns about the rent being paid by Tradeport International to the city under the airport lease agreement," CATCH reported on Dec. 1.

"A response from the legal department has been repeatedly delayed but apparently came during the in camera section of today's meeting. When the committee reconvened in public, Clark explained that Tradeport and the city lawyers are saying "there's a whole bunch of exemptions" under provincial privacy legislation and "that's why the lease can't be made public and that's why the lease audit can't be made public," CATCH reported. CATCH (Citizens at City Hall) updates use transcripts and/or public documents to highlight information about Hamilton civic affairs.

http://www.hamiltoncatch.org

8 - Air safety oversight is Ottawa's job, Baird affirms

"Transport Minister John Baird expressed concerns yesterday about leaving aviation safety oversight to airline operators as he responded to parliamentary testimony this week that questioned the validity of the new federal aviation regulatory system," the Globe and Mail reported on Dec. 2.

"I do not support outsourcing safety testing or safety monitoring to the private sector. I think it is an important core responsibility of government and my department," Mr. Baird told the House of Commons. He did not elaborate but said he wanted to hear suggestions from Transport Canada staff, who complain they no longer do enough hands-on inspections under the new regime, called Safety Management Systems," Globe reporter Tu Thanh Ha wrote.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/air-safety-oversight-is-ottawas-job-baird-affirms/article1385154/

9 - Washington's Newest Gravy Train: High-Speed Rail

Stimulus Funds Create Lobbying Frenzy, But Will Anything Result, Matthew Lewis wrote for the Centre for Public Integrity on Nov. 30. " ... after millions and millions of dollars spent studying, planning, and mostly falling short, the American incarnation of high-speed passenger rail is but a single line that travels from Washington to Boston at an average speed of under 80 miles per hour. Now, though, the Obama administration is looking to change all that, starting with $8 billion in federal stimulus money to be awarded starting this winter. Equally captivated, Congress is considering adding as much as $4 billion more in next year's budget. The House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee chairman, James Oberstar, a Minnesota Democrat, is talking $50 billion," Lewis wrote for the Centre for Public Integrity. The series includes, Who's Lobbying on High-Speed Rail, A Long Time Coming, Looking for a Blueprint, A Troubling Past, The Lobby Bulks Up and A New Lobbying Power.

http://www.publicintegrity.org/investigations/transportation_lobby/articles/entry/1839/

10 - Les chemins de fer canadiens ont transporté plus de voyageurs, mais moins de marchandises l'année dernière

« Les chemins de fer voyageurs du Canada ont transporté 72,3 millions de passagers en 2008, soit une augmentation de 6,5 % par rapport à 2007, tandis que les chemins de fer marchandises ont acheminé 237,3 milliards de tonnes milles commerciales de marchandises au cours de l'année, ce qui représente une baisse de 4,2 %. Cette information est extraite de la plus récente édition de Tendances ferroviaires, publiée aujourd'hui par l'association sectorielle » CNW Telbec a rapporté le 1 décembre.

http://www.railcan.ca/sec_pro/fr_pro_publications.asp

11 - Canadian Railways Carried More Passengers, Less Freight Last Year

"Canada's railways carried 72.3 million passengers in 2008, an increase of 6.5 per cent over 2007, and others hauled 237.3 billion revenue ton miles of freight, down 4.2 per cent, during the year. The information is in the new Railway Trends publication issued today by the industry association," CNW reported on Dec. 1.

http://www.railcan.ca/sec_pro/en_pro_publications.asp

12 - VIAFast 2002 High Speed Rail Study Posted

On Dec. 1 High Speed Rail Canada published the VIA Rail Canada 2002 study relating to high speed rail in the Ontario-Quebec corridor. It's is available on at http://www.highspeedrail.ca . Click on the Ontario/Quebec Tab.

High Speed Rail Canada advise there are two issues with the study. 1. It was redacted by VIA Rail and 2. It is a large file 66.5MB so it will take awhile to download. The french version will posted soon.

http://www.highspeedrail.ca

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www.transport2000.ca.