| Transport Action Canada formerly Transport 2000 Canada | |||||||
| Home | About us | Your region | News | Learn more | Contact us | Join us | Français |
| |
| ||||||||||||||||
| Transport Action Hotline - 30 April 2010 | |||||||||||
In this issue...This is the Transport Action Hotline, issue number 1070, for 30 April 2010.
| |||||||||||
1 - Calendar
| |||||||||||
2 - Canada to give Michigan half a billion for a bridge Michigan doesn't want"The Windsor Essex Parkway, part of the Detroit River International Crossing, is designed to connect with the project's bridge. However, the Michigan side of the bridge will not be started until the year 2021 if you believe one official source, or if started sooner, will not be ready until 2017 if you believe another official source. Or maybe not at all, since the Michigan state government has not yet passed the required legislation nor approved the funds. On Thursday Canada offered to contribute up to $550 million to help the cash-strapped state pay for the new bridge," Natalie Litwin wrote to the editor of the Toronto Star."Since Ontario cannot build its half without Michigan's half, the most expensive highway per kilometre in Ontario will be a highway to nowhere for years. That $1.6 billion could go a long way to building transit," the past president of Transport Action Ontario wrote in the April 30 edition of the Toronto Star. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/letters/article/802656--province-still-spending-on-roads http://www.transport2000.ca/ontario/
| |||||||||||
3 - Wellar gives Jane's Walk presentationDr. Barry Wellar has prepared two special reports for the 2010 Jane's Walk events of May 1-2. "Jane's Walk honours the efforts of Jane Jacobs to improve the urban condition, and draws attention to the importance that she attached to walking as a factor affecting the quality of urban life" said Wellar, Distinguished Research Fellow at Transport Action Canada. "I was asked by the Ottawa Organizing Committee to discuss my research on matters affecting pedestrians. The Panel Presentation and the Background Guide on 'Measures to Mitigate Intersections That Are Conflict Zones for Pedestrians" connect Jane Jacob's work on sidewalks with my work on intersections and crosswalks."http://www.transport-action.ca/dc/BW_JanesWalkRemarks.pdf
| |||||||||||
4 - Transport Action in Vancouver, Regina, Toronto, Québec City and DartmouthTransport Action British Columbia elected Matthew Buchanan, president at its April 20 annual general meeting, Members also elected John Bakker, vice-president, Rick Jelfs, secretary. At its March 27 AGM Transport Action Ontario elected Peter Miasek, president. Other officers elected include: Tony Turrittin, V-P, recording secretary Bruce Budd, treasurer Avrum Regenstreif and membership secretary, Dan Hammond. Natalie Litwin will hold the office of immediate past president. Transport Action members will hold annual general meetings in Regina and Dartmouth on May 8."The annual TRAQ railway symposium and rail show of April 27-28, drew 250 people to Québec City including Paul Langan from High Speed Rail Canada. Langan did a super job with his presentation and the many questions he was asked. For next year, CPR will provide the Honourary Chairperson and it will happen probably in March instead of April," Louis-François Garceau, vice-président Comité colloques ferroviaires du Québec reports.
| |||||||||||
5 - 401 mayors want more rail service nowOn April 27 the Waterloo Region Record reported: "A fee dispute between VIA and the Goderich Exeter Railway is "extremely frustrating" for people who have long waited for increased passenger train service to Toronto, (Guelph) Mayor Carl Zehr says. "We have communicated verbally and in writing to both parties to come to an agreement," Zehr, who is heading up a coalition of mayors along the rail line, said."Thousands of vehicles clog the 401 every day for commutes that could be faster, easier and less expensive if rail service was improved along the London-Kitchener-Toronto corridor-the so-called North Line. (Zehr said) "It is the best way of moving masses of people and getting them out of cars and off expensive infrastructure, i.e. roads," Terry Pender reported for the Record. http://news.therecord.com/News/Local/article/703362
| |||||||||||
6 - 20 passenger trains a day in 401 corridor stalled by RailAmerica'The federal government has invested money in VIA Rail to improve rail safety and infrastructure on the North Main Line to be able to increase passenger rail trains from the current six a day," Paul Langan wrote in a letter to the editor of the Waterloo Region Record."According to GO Transit's environmental assessment report for Guelph, VIA Rail and GO Rail want to schedule 20 passenger trains a day to travel through Kitchener and Guelph to London and Toronto. The only reason we do not have 20 passenger trains on this line is that RailAmerica is preventing this from happening," Langan wrote in the April 28 edition of the Record. http://news.therecord.com/Opinions/LettertotheEditor/article/703277
| |||||||||||
7 - MR-08 et renouvellement des voitures de métroLe 28 avril l'association Transport 2000 Québec rappelle ses inquiétudes très vives dans l'appréhension de tout nouveau délai additionnel qu'entraînerait un nouvel appel d'offres dans le processus de renouvellement des voitures de métro actuelles. Le problème n'est pas tant l'acquisition de nouveau matériel que le remplacement de la première génération (MR-63) et de la deuxième génération (MR-73).Ainsi, Transport 2000 constate que les retards continuent de s'accumuler dans ce dossier. Pourtant, après confirmation d'une première commande en 2006 et la conception d'une nouvelle génération en 2008 (MR-08), à la suite d'un appel d'offres antérieur, une entente semblait en voie d'être conclue en décembre dernier avec le consortium Alstom-Bombardier. L'Association ne met pas en doute la compétence de la nouvelle intéressée CAF à participer à un appel d'offres international, mais rappelle que cette entreprise n'a aucune usine au Québec. Par conséquent, il y a tout lieu de croire que des coûts et des délais supplémentaires seraient inévitables en terme de production manufacturière.
| |||||||||||
8 - New metro car contract up in air?"Reports indicate Spanish firm CAF - Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles - appears to have met the MTC's requirements and that could force the transit corporation to relaunch the bidding process, and perhaps push back the 2012 delivery date," CJAD reported on April 28."It's already more than 12 years," says Normand Parisien head of the Transport 2000 public transit lobby group. He says they're getting tired of this back and forth about the metro contract. Parisien says the aging cars need to be replaced soon because he doesn't believe the MTC - or the public - can handle any more breakdowns," CJAD reported. http://www.cjad.com/news/565/1122804
| |||||||||||
9 - $10,000 grants for green cars"When Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty announced last year that he would pay people to buy electric cars, he justified his decision as environmentally smart and industrially expedient. ... In retrospect, it was embarrassing. Almost everyone knows that electric cars will be only as green as the power that drives them. And the jobs? According to one provocative new analysis, they will go mostly to China," Globe and Mail columnist Neil Reynolds wrote on April 21."The Dog & Lemon Guide, which bills itself as "the world's toughest car buyer's guide," has published a 168-page report, titled The Emperor's New Car, a no-nonsense analysis of the coming environmental and industrial impact of electric cars," the Globe and Mail columnist wrote.
| |||||||||||
10 - Alberta transit cash back on table"Stalled provincial cash for commuter trains and LRT expansion could be ready to seek takers within weeks. Alberta's $2-billion Green TRIP fund, announced two years ago but put on hold due to recessionary pressures, will be ready to flow in six weeks say provincial officials, which will allow cities to pitch mass transit programsin hopes of acquiring some of the available money," Shawn Logan reported in the April 25 Calgary Sun."(Alberta Transportation spokeswoman Tammy) Forbes said said the province has budgeted $470 million over the next three years for green transportation plans and will set a "pay for progress" system, handing cash to municipalities that pay or borrow up front for projects," the Calgary Sun reported. http://www.calgarysun.com/news/alberta/2010/04/25/13716701.html
| |||||||||||
11 - GM: Hey, they still owe more than $50-billion!GM's new TV ad -- "We want to make this a company all Canadians can be proud of again. That's why I'm here to announce we have repaid our government loans, in full, with interest - five years ahead of the original schedule" -- was truthified by the Globe and Mail's Derek DeCloet."I'm Ed Whitacre from General Motors. A lot of Canadians didn't agree with giving GM a second chance. Quite frankly, I can respect that. We want to make this a company all Canadians can be proud of again. That's why I'm here to announce we have paid back to governments, with interest, about 14 per cent of the money they gave us last year. We don't know when they'll get other 86 per cent. There's a chance they'll never get it all back. Either way, it's going to take a long time. While you ponder that, take a look at this shiny GMC driving through water. Isn't it nice?" DeCloet wrote in the April 23 edition of the Globe and Mail.
| |||||||||||
12 - Why high-speed? Cleaner, jobs, technology, safety, everyone else in the world...Paul Langan, the founder of High Speed Rail Canada explained why the rest of the world has already embraced high-speed rail in Corporate Knights, April 21, 2010."High-speed rail is a big part of reducing our impact on the planet. Lower greenhouse gas emissions, less oil dependence, and less energy consumption can all be achieved through switching to greater train use. The 1995 Federal/Ontario/Quebec study states, "By the year 2025, annual emissions of carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide related to inter-city travel within the [Windsor-Quebec City] corridor would drop by 24 per cent and 11 per cent [respectively] with the introduction of 300kph technology," Paul Langan wrote for Corporate Knights. "This article was written while riding the 328 kilometres from Ottawa to Guelph, Ontario on the VIA Rail train. The trip took about six and a half hours-actually, more since the train was late-and it cost $200. Even though part of this VIA trip was first class, compared to a TGV first class HSR ticket from Paris to Strasbourg, France, which is 400 km long, it takes less than half the time at only three hours and costs less at $175. The time to modernize Canada's passenger rail system is now. Let's get vocal and let politicians know our future must include HSR," Langan wrote for Corporate Knights. http://www.corporateknights.ca/magazine-issues/92-2010-earth-day-issue/574-getting-on-track.html
| |||||||||||
13 - La STO achète un bout de voie ferrée pour son Rapibus« La Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) achète la voie ferrée de la Compagnie de chemin de fer Québec-Gatineau, (CFQG) entre la montée Paiement et le pont Prince-de-Galles.Le président de la STO, Patrice Martin, a annoncé la nouvelle lors de la réunion du conseil d'administration de la société de transport, hier matin » Le Droit a rapporté. « La STO qui a entamé la construction du Rapibus entre le boulevard Lorrain et le centre-ville dans le secteur Hull, a préféré acheter la partie de la voie ferrée qui n'est plus utilisée, plutôt que de payer une redevance à la compagnie de chemin de fer pour utiliser le corridor. La STO dépensera 2,5 millions $ pour l'achat de la voie ferrée. Selon M. Martin, ce montant est inclus dans le budget global du Rapibus et ne constitue donc pas une dépense supplémentaire » Charles Thériault a rapporté le 29 Avril.
| |||||||||||
|
Thank you for calling the Transport Action Canada Hotline.
For additional information, please contact our web site at:
| |||||||||||