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| Transport Action Hotline - 28 May 2010 | |||||||||||
In this issue...This is the Transport Action Hotline, issue number 1074, for 28 May 2010.
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1 - Conférence sur l'avenir du métro de Montréal: Présentée par Transport 2000 QuébecL'association Transport 2000 Québec présente la conférence Le métro de Montréal à la croisée des chemins le jeudi 3 juin à 19h30 à l'École nationale d'administration publique (ÉNAP) à Montréal. Présentée par le directeur de l'exploitation du métro à la Société de transport de Montréal (STM), Carl Desrosiers, la conférence portera sur les défis auxquels est confronté le métro, particulièrement le vieillissement du matériel, la hausse de l'achalandage ainsi que les demandes d'extension dans l'île et également dans les couronnes nord et sud.« La conférence traitera de la situation actuelle du métro et de ce qu'on peut espérer pour l'avenir avec tout ce qui se passe ici et ailleurs dans le monde en transport collectif, » explique Normand Parisien, directeur général de Transport 2000 Québec. Monsieur Desrosiers assurera une présentation d'une trentaine de minutes pour ensuite répondre aux questions des participants. Les gens intéressés sont priés de confirmer leur présence à Transport 2000 Québec au 514 932-8008 ou à info@transport2000qc.org avant le 3 juin à midi. Rappelons que la conférence se tiendra le jeudi 3 juin à 19h30 près des métros Laurier et Mont-Royal à l'École nationale d'administration publique au 4750 rue Henri-Julien, salle 4045, à Montréal.
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2 - Transport Action Atlantic AGM hears David Gunn, former transit and Amtrak headTransport Action Atlantic AGM was held in Dartmouth, NS on May 8 with 35 members and guests in attendance. Issues of falling VIA traffic, uncertain funding for inter-provincial ferry routes, the future of Acadian Bus service in the Maritimes, and positive urban and rural transit expansions were discussed. David Gunn, former transit and Amtrak head, now retired in Nova Scotia was guest speaker.He lamented the loss of U.S. rail passenger manufacturers Pullman, Budd, and ACF, but expressed confidence in Canada's Bombardier. Mr. Gunn listed as successes for Amtrak, the Acela-Bombardier Northeast Corridor service and rehab of the Harrisburg-Philadelphia electric short-haul service as well as long-haul trains such as the Empire Builder. He expressed confidence in Canadian investment in Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal upgrading, but felt that VIA should encourage domestic use of western Transcon service rather than relying only on tourism. Speaker Gunn discouraged nostalgia for former rail services, and suggested buses (such as state-funded feeder routes in California) might be the answer for the Maritimes. (this could be significant for us as Acadian Bus Lines have proposed an end to connections with VIA trains in Truro, NS (from Sydney) and Moncton (from Saint John and PEI). Finally, David Gunn expressed frustration at downgrading of infrastructure by Rail America and Illinois Central (Hunter Harrison) being far from Gunn's priority of "a state of good repair". Current membership stands at 146, down from 157 a year ago. A board of 14 members was elected. Marcus Garnet stepped up from Vice-President to President, replacing Harold Nicholson who remains on the Board. Michael Perry is our new VP with Iain Dunlop continuing as secretary, Don MacLeod as treasurer, and web master, membership secretary and bulletin editors remaining unchanged. Two new members joined our board.
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3 - Harry Gow: Le Droit et Radio-canada veulent reconnaître son engagement vis-à-vis des citoyens« Harry Gow a-t-il encore besoin d'être présenté? Grand défenseur du transport en commun et plus spécialement du transport par train, Harry Gow a été de toutes les tribunes depuis plus de 35 ans dans la région. Il a écrit des centaines de lettres ouvertes dans les journaux et il est intervenu dans les médias à maintes reprises. Il a aussi piloté de nombreux groupes et comités. Harry Gow quittera la région de l'Outaouais vers la fin de l'année pour aller vivre sur les bords du Richelieu, avec sa conjointe, qui veut se rapprocher de sa famille » Charles Thériault a écrit pour le Droit le 25 mai.« À 71 ans, il pourrait bien prendre une retraite complète et se reposer mais il est encore animé de la même flamme depuis sa jeunesse. Il aime poser des gestes qui améliorent la qualité de vie de gens et il veut être un acteur des changements sociaux auxquels il croit. D'ailleurs, certaines causes lui tiennent encore à coeur et il continuera à suivre les dossiers qui l'intéressent dans la région de l'Outaouais » Le Droit a rapporté.
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4 - Transport Action's Barry Wellar analyses HOV lane program, MTO criticizedDr. Barry Wellar has prepared a case study report on the Ottawa experience with the Ontario Ministry of Transportation's so-called high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) lane program. "The more questions that are asked about the HOV program the scarier it gets" said Wellar, Distinguished Research Fellow at Transport Action Canada. " I was unable to obtain any evidence that MTO has even one substantive reason to justify an HOV lane anywhere in the Ottawa region. Moreover, it is my finding that because of MTO decisions, the light rail program in Ottawa has been severely compromised. The term muck-up apply describes the mess." Wellar's report, "Further Analysis of HOV Lane and Sustainable Transport Failures in Ontario: Ottawa Case Study" is available on the Transport Action Canada website.http://www.transport-action.ca/dc/Wellar_FurtherAnalysisOntario.pdf
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5 - Translink: 188,000,000 revenue passengers in 2009The same issue of the Courier also comments on TransLink's 2009 annual general meeting (http://www.translink.ca/en/About-TransLink/Annual-Reports.aspx) , held aboard the organisation's newest SeaBus, MV Burrard Pacific Breeze. For 2009, TransLink reported 188,000,000 revenue passengers (8,000,000 more than 2008) and a $67.3 million deficit on an operating budget of $1,250 million. It stated the $130 million funding increase approved by the Mayors' Council does not allow major transit service improvement for 2010. However, service will be fine-tuned for greater efficiency; resources could be moved from poor performing routes to those requiring more service. A hiring freeze, eliminating staff and executive positions will reduce administrative costs but fuel and maintenance costs and increased use of discount passes are affecting the organisation's finances. Vancouver city councillors, Geoff Meggs and David Cadman, provided their take on TransLink funding, essentially stating it is a provincial problem.
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6 - Auto users heavily subsidizedOn May 21 Vancouver Sun business columnist Don Cayo took issue with the Canadian Taxpayers Federation ballyhooed Gas Tax Honesty Day http://www.taxpayer.com/node/12379. Using information from the Victoria Transport Policy Institute http://www.vtpi.org/, he states that auto users are heavily subsidised from general tax revenues because indirect costs of roads and auto usage are not included in cost calculations of our auto dependence. The gas tax debate should focus on the subsidy to auto users. The real gas tax scandal is that the price of road use is too low, not too high.http://www.vancouversun.com/business/Honesty+swerves+around+some+facts/3056951/story.html
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7 - Canjet lays off 27 of 44 Halifax Flight AttendantsCanjet, a former scheduled airline headquartered in Halifax, now operates only charter services. It is laying off 27 of its 44 flight attendants at its Halifax base next month. Employees are being offered transfers to central Canada. Owner Ken Rowe says more flights are being operated from central and western Canada, mainly Montreal, Quebec City, Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver to southern vacation destinations. "Our whole business has gone west" said Mr. Rowe. It's becoming increasingly difficult for us to manage crews starting in our former base in Halifax and send them all across the country to join aircraft. Many of the layoffs involve senior staff from the days of scheduled flights from Halifax."
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8 - Acadian Bus Lines has proposed a fare increase on its Maritime bus networkAcadian Intercity Coaches has made application to both N.S. and N.B. Regulatory Boards for a fare increase averaging 2 percent. Acadian, the Maritime Provinces main bus carrier, has been in the news this past winter with proposals to cut 3 rural routes and reduce service on 4 others. A joint hearing of NS-NB boards re the fare hike is proposed for June 8th in the border town of Amherst, N.S. if there is opposition. However the small proposed fare increase is not likely to draw attention close to that of the massive reorganization proposed last winter. A decision on those extensive schedule changes is expected by this fall, while the fare increase could be approved well before then.
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9 - Ottawa stalls on emissions rules: 2002 technology"These will be the "new emission standards for the heavy trucks that are such a crucial part of our export-driven economy," Environment Minister Jim Prentice said Friday ... "Just like passenger vehicles, manufacturers of heavy-duty trucks operate in an integrated North American market - so a closely harmonized approach makes sense for them," the Globe and Mail reported on May 21.But John Bennett, executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada, said that means these types of improvements could have been done years ago. "They are going to announce regulations for transport trucks that will come into effect in four or five years," Mr. Bennett said. "There is no new technology here that couldn't have been imposed in 2002, and this would have all been done by now had the Conservative government not cancelled all climate projects when it came to office," Gloria Galloway reported for the Globe and Mail.
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10 - Ideas for Arbutus: TrainsA lengthy article in May 14, The Vancouver Courier discusses the history of the Arbutus Corridor (aka CP Rail's Marpole spur) since rail service was halted in 1999. Various interest groups and the City of Vancouver have abundant ideas on what to do with this large chunk of undeveloped land on Vancouver's west side.http://www.vancourier.com/business/track+minds/3025683/story.html
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11 - High-speed rail network Bill 'in due course'"Plans for a high-speed rail network are among the commitments of the new government, it has been announced. The government will "enable the construction of a high-speed network", according to the Queen's Speech delivered to Parliament. No timetable for the work or details on routes were given. The announcement only said the Bill would be introduced in "due course". The government will also review the economic regulation of airports. Plans for the high-speed network could include links between UK airports to provide an alternative to domestic flights," BBC News eported on May 25.http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8703052.stm
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12 - DRIC barely clears first Michigan hurdle"Michigan's state representatives narrowly gave the green light Wednesday to the $5-billion DRIC border infrastructure project in a 56 to 51 vote of support. The decision at nearly 6 p.m. culminated a chaotic day of last-minute lobbying by Ambassador Bridge employees and supporters in the hallways and outside the state capital in Lansing looking to convince legislators to kill the border project," the Windsor Star reported on May 27."Rep. George Cushingberry (D - Detroit) broke ranks from his party and was among those to bring forward the most serious of a series of amendments Wednesday before the final vote that threatened to kill the state's further involvement in the DRIC project. He repeatedly bashed the project as the "bridge to nowhere" and insisted there is not enough Windsor-Detroit border traffic to justify two bridges. ... "Do you think the money will fall from the sky? I don't see a revenue stream that makes sense and it means taxpayers are going to get stuck. If the tolls don't make it, it's the taxpayers who will suffer. My amendment says don't do this bridge unless you know the traffic will be there,'" Dave Battagello reported for the Windsor Star. The issue now goes to Michigan's Senate.
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13 - Le p'tit train se rapproche du centre-ville« Le Train à vapeur Hull-Chelsea-Wakefield pourrait, dans un avenir rapproché, se rendre jusque dans le centre-ville de Gatineau, où une toute nouvelle gare digne de ce nom accueillerait les milliers de voyageurs attirés chaque année par l'icône touristique de l'Outaouais. ... La construction d'une nouvelle gare au centre-ville, ainsi qu'un meilleur aménagement des installations à l'arrivée, à Wakefield, feront partie de la réflexion et de l'analyse de ces consultants » Mathieu Bélanger a écrit pour Le Droit le 26 mai,
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