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| Transport Action Hotline - 12 February 2010 | |||||||||||
In this issue...This is the Transport Action Hotline, issue number 1059, for 12 February 2010.
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1 - Calendar
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2 - New Brunswick needs a public transportation network, Harold Nicholson, President, Transport Action AtlanticIn a letter to the Times & Transcript Transport Action's Harold Nicolson wrote: "In this day it is very difficult for any private enterprise to make a profit in public transportation, as is clearly evidenced by the current Acadian Bus Lines application to cut services. It is now essential that our government recognize that approximately one-third of our population does not drive and needs as much public transport as possible. It is time that the provincial government think outside the box and do more than the politically successful building of more roads. By using what rail lines remain and subsidizing our bus line, government can, and should, be providing an integrated transportation system for all New Brunswickers."In the Feb. 11 Times & Transcript letter Harold Nicholson, President, Transport Action Atlantic suggested a three-point plan:
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3 - A comprehensive national aviation security plan"(An) Israeli air safety expert says Canada's decision to purchase body scanners is a 'disaster,' and a mere reactionary measure that will not increase aviation security on its own. ...David Jeanes, president of Transport Action Canada ... said he thinks Canada has much to learn from the Israeli approach, and its focus on the "psychology of terrorism, not the mechanics," the Hill Times reported on Feb. 9."(Jeanes) noted that intelligence work thwarted the 2006 liquid bomb plot in Britain, and said he doubts whether additional detection measures such as body scanners will prove as effective as the government hopes. "Basically, reacting to each incident by putting new processes in place to make sure the same thing doesn't happen again isn't necessarily a very good way because the terrorists always come up with some new mode of attack that hasn't been tried before," Mr. Jeanes said. "Aviation security depends a lot on having good intelligence about potential threats," the Hill Times' Jeff Davis reported.
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4 - Quebec budget: Montreal Region mayors want a two-cents-a-litre gas tax to fund transit"It's being described as a "historic" agreement. But even if a consensus among the mayors in the Montreal Metropolitan Community for a two-cents-a-litre excise tax on gasoline to fund public transit is one for the record books, history shows that while it's one thing to ask the province for more money - even in concert with politicians you sometimes bicker with - it's another to actually get it," the Gazette reported on Feb. 11."While the mayors will have to wait at least a month to find out how their "historic" consensus will be received by Quebec, they may get a hint as to whether history will repeat itself on (February 15), when (Quebec Transport Minister Julie) Boulet addresses a luncheon organized by the transit users lobby group Transport 2000 Quebec," the Gazette's James Mennie reported.
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5 - Increased security for Vancouver trains"Amtrak is stepping up security in the Pacific Northwest to prepare for the 2010 Winter Olympics that'll begin Friday in Vancouver, British Columbia. Amtrak's police department is supporting local, state and federal counter-terrorism efforts, such as by participating with the Transportation Security Administration's Visible Intermodal Prevention & Response teams to conduct surveillance and perform random security inspections with mobile explosives detection equipment," Progressive Railroading reported on Feb. 9.http://www.progressiverailroading.com/prdailynews/news.asp?id=22527
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6 - Ottawa à Pembroke: Transport Pontiac-Renfrew négocie l'achat de la voie ferrée du CN« Le président de Transport Pontiac-Renfrew, Harry Gow, se réjouit de l'annonce de la création de SSPM Pontiac, qui prend la relève de la papetière Surfit-Stone à Portage-du-Fort. Présent à la conférence de presse du président de SSPM Pontiac, Raymond Stillwell, hier matin, M. Gow a déclaré que son groupe négocie l'achat de la voie ferrée qui relie Ottawa à Pembroke et dont une partie du tracé passe dans le Pontiac, alors que la voie ferrée traverse deux fois la rivière des Outaouais » Le Droit a rapporté le 8 février.« Hier, Raymond Stillwell, a souligné que l'entreprise SSPM Pontiac compte beaucoup sur la voie ferrée pour relier le futur parc industriel - qui sera aménagé près de l'ancienne usine - aux ports québécois de Montréal et de Trois-Rivières » Charles Thériault a rapporté.
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7 - London needs better public transportation, Ken Westcar, Transport Action Canada"London, like many similar cities in Canada, has developed rapidly as a car-centric sprawl. Certainly, the airport and highways 401 and 402 are valuable gateways, and there is a relatively good VIA Rail service. London Transit spans the city with diesel buses. But, to an outsider, all of this is yesterday's stuff. It is neither efficient nor integrated," Transport Action Canada member Ken Westcar wrote in the Feb. 10 edition of the Woodstock Sentinel."If London is really serious about its economic future, it needs to join with other Ontario cities in pushing Queen's Park and Ottawa for high-speed passenger rail service. Along with this, it must to integrate its whole public transportation system. Trams or light rail rather than buses are needed for heavily used routes, including reopening the London and Port Stanley Railway to passengers," Westcar wrote in the Woodstock Sentinel. http://www.woodstocksentinelreview.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2443301
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8 - A bully on the bus? People will take actionThe Gazette's Squeeky Wheels is asking "What do you do when you see a bully on the bus?". In his Feb. 8 poll primer Max Harrold wrote Normand Parisien, executive director of the Transport 2000 Quebec "said a passenger may alert a driver to a situation that is dangerous and drivers have a 911-call button to alert police that they need assistance. When it comes down to it, Parisien said people will take action if and when they can and it makes sense at the time. "It's everyone's duty under the law to come to the aid of someone who is in distress," Parisien noted."http://www.montrealgazette.com/drivers+aren+police+officers+they+call/2535261/story.html
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9 - Fin de la CAM au métro Longueuil: Une décision odieuse, selon Transport 2000« L'organisme de défense des droits des usagers du transport en commun, Transport 2000, juge «odieuse» la décision du maire de Montréal et de la Société de transport de Montréal (STM) de bannir la CAM au métro Longueuil le 1er juillet prochain. «On frappe les usagers du transport en commun qui viennent à Montréal et qui sont beaucoup plus nombreux que ceux qui en sortent, a réagi le directeur général de l'organisme, Normand Parisien. C'est discriminatoire » Métro a rapporté le 8 février 2010.«Cette crise ne fait qu'attiser les oppositions locales et braquer les citoyens les uns contre les autres», a ajouté le directeur de Transport 2000. Celui-ci a vu juste puisque Projet Montréal demande au maire de Montréal et à la STM de réduire le nombre de rames qui se rendent à Laval et à Longueuil de moitié tant que les deux villes ne paieront pas leur quote-part » Marie-Eve Shaffer a rapporté pour Métro.
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10 - Montreal squeezes downtown parkers, MTC hits South Shore métro usersOn Feb. 8, The Gazette reported: "As head of the transit lobby group Transport 2000 Québec, Léveillé should, theoretically at least, be happy that the perpetually cash-strapped and deficit-ridden Montreal Transit Corp. last week found itself two new sources of revenue."I think it's aberrant that we've dropped this on the people of the South Shore," says Jean Léveillé. "The balance between the economics of using your car and of using public transit is fragile. "You've got to remain competitive. ... You have to make it economically profitable for a motorist to use public transit. ... What happened in Longueuil is counterproductive. "This has not been a good week for public transit," the Gazette's James Mennie reported. http://www.montrealgazette.com/Latest+price+hikes+seem+make+sense/2535256/story.html
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11 - Hill Times: Transportation Policy BriefingOn Feb. 9 the Hill Times headlined NDP MP Dennis Bevington op-ed: "Canada outsources aviation safety. As a concept, Safety Management Systems is a good idea, however, it is being used by Transport Canada to shirk its duty and ensure the Canadian aviation industry is safe." Liberal MP Joe Volpe's piece ran under Canada's sitting on edge of new era on transportation, all it needs is political will If we are going to remain competitive in the world, we need to focus on three main policy areas: high-speed rail, a strengthened gateway strategy, and safe and secure air travel." A staff story said "Liberals set sights on high-speed rail. "Bruce Burrows, vice-president of public and corporate affairs for the Railway Association of Canada, says development of high-speed rail can be done in stages of investment."
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12 - The Transport Minister's top priority is Detroit River International CrossingThe Feb. 9 Hill Times interview with the Transport Minister was headlined: "Baird talks up 'huge investments' in public transit across Canada, but Transport Minister John Baird won't say right now if the feds will match the Ontario government's $600-million for Ottawa's light rail project."The Minister told the Hill Times: "The biggest single infrastructure transportation project in the country for me is the Detroit River International Crossing. That's like a $4-to $5-billion project on both sides of the river. That bridge carries $137-billion worth of goods every year. That's like a half billion dollars every working day. I mean it's just a massive, massive initiative and getting a new crossing there is probably my top priority. It's been a long, long hard road, we're making progress though." Transport Action Ontario wants the the Ontario Ministry of Transportation to stop work on the crossing. Transport Action Ontario says the government abused the environmental assessment process by limiting its scope. The group has lined up speakers for an event about the Detroit River International Crossing in Toronto on March 27.
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13 - Colas Rail OLE Catenary High Speed RailOn Feb. 11, High Speed Rail Canada posted a video by Colas Rail showing the installation of a OLE Catenary on a European high speed rail line. Colas Rail is a worldwide leader in designing, building and renewing high speed rail lines. The video is at:http://www.youtube.com/user/HighSpeedRailCanada
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14 - New Brunswick government has no plan to subsidize bus companyOn Feb. 9 the Daily Gleaner reported: "The MLA who represents communities that would lose bus service if a proposed cut goes through says the province has no plans to offer enticements to keep the routes going. Charlotte-The Isles Liberal MLA Rick Doucet said he's looked into the possibility of providing a subsidy to have a service maintained in his area. "At the Department of Transportation, they tell me there's nothing there and there's nothing planned," he said.""Doucet was responding to statements made last week by a former president of Transport 2000 Atlantic, suggesting the province should look at the possibility of providing operators of regularly scheduled bus service with a rebate on the provincial portion of the gas tax or the provincial portion of the HST," Shawn Berry wrote for the Daily Gleaner. The story noted two cabinet ministers are opposing the cuts proposed by Acadian Coach Lines. http://dailygleaner.canadaeast.com/cityregion/article/948431
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