Transport Action Canada
Hotline 1122, June 24, 2011
When a full bus passes people waiting at a stop, Transport Action BC
"The Vancouver Sun analyzed transit passenger “pass-up” data (provided by Coast Mountain Bus Company (CMBC – TransLink’s main bus service operator). The newspaper found four routes where “pass-ups” occur much more frequently than all other routes," Rick Jelfs wrote for Transport Action BC on June 19.
"The ultimate solution, according to TransLink, is the “Compass” smart card that will be implemented in 2013. This will allow TransLink to offer different fares at different times of the day. Higher fares in the peak periods could encourage some customers to shift their travel times, potentially providing some relief on overcrowded routes.
"However, the article doesn’t question if CMBC is making the most efficient use of TransLink’s buses. Regular transit users know that Vancouver’s buses spend much time at terminals and certain intersections not moving. There are valid reasons for idle time; it allows vehicles to get back on schedule and provides operator breaks. But, given overcrowding problems, is so much slack time the most effective way to solve these issues? Are there other ways to keep buses on schedule and provide operator breaks but keep buses moving and picking up customers? Experience elsewhere suggests there is," Jelfs reported.
Transport Canada, duty to protect, kapton burns
In August 1999 Transport Action (Transport 2000 at the time) was the first watchdog group to identify kapton insulation as the likely cause of the Swissair 111 tragedy. Kapton burns. This week Postmedia New's Ian MacLeod reported: "Thirteen years after faulty wiring downed Swissair Flight 111 off Nova Scotia, the risk remains because the federal government still does not require aircraft wiring to be tested under realistic operating conditions, the Transportation Safety Board charges."
"Now, after a decade of pressing unsuccessfully for the change, the independent federal transportation safety agency has issued a statement alleging the "risk remains" because Transport Canada has so far failed to act," Postmedia News reported on June 20, 2011.
$59M boosts O-Train capacity by 80%
Toronto-based strategic communications group with a media relations focus. J. Goss + supplies research, writing, design and production services. www.jgoss.com blog@jgoss.com unifor 591-g
Vertical integration, manger local au Québec, spectrum auction
J. Goss and Associates provides communications services to the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. PIAC is a non-profit group. PIAC and its team of lawyers fight for better consumer protection.
J. Goss and Associates also provides communications services to Option consommateurs a not-for-profit association. Option consommateurs’ mission is to promote and defend the basic rights of consumers and ensure that they are recognized and respected.
Vertical integration, We need rules PIAC says
"Canada's telecommunications regulator needs to set rules to prevent possible "cartel-like behaviour" from telecommunications companies such as Bell and Rogers that also own content such as TV shows that competitors would like to be able to offer online, said Chris Peirce, chief corporate officer for MTS Allstream," CBC News reported from Canadian Telecom Summit.
"John Lawford, counsel for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, which speaks on behalf of consumers, said he thinks that is a potential problem. "We need rules so that people don't get locked into services they may not really want … or that impede competition," he said.
"Lawford added that he doesn't think someone should have to maintain wireless service with a certain provider just to get mobile access to hockey games. "That's not a fair situation. It certainly doesn't help competition," CBC's Emily Chung reported on June 1, 2011.
Reserve spectrum for new competition
Canadian Wheat Board, Où est les études, Food sovereignty
Roy Atkinson, "Gerry Ritz is at it again"
As Stephen Harper's minister of Agriculture, Ritz continues to demonstrate his complete misunderstanding of the fact that the Canadian Wheat Board is the most comprehensive and complex farmer grain marketing system in existence, serving prairie wheat and barley producers from a position of power in the marketplace. He wants to destroy this effective marketing system. Ritz either is illiterate or he isn't being honest about the facts. Take your pick.
Roy Atkinson, Star-Phoenix, June 14, 2011Ritz hurting farmers
The facts about the Canadian Wheat Board are the driving force behind the need for an open market. Canola has surpassed wheat as the most valuable crop on the prairies. Furthermore, a value-added industry is driving market opportunities for the pulse industry whereas Canadian wheat processing has become stagnant. The value-added and job-creation opportunities in Western Canada for our world-class wheat are endless, but these are now being taken by other countries.
Gerry Ritz, Agriculture Minister, Star-Phoenix June 21, 2011
Manifestation d'appui à la CCB à Regina
Le Syndicat national des cultivateurs (NFU) a profité de la tenue du Farm Progress Show à Regina pour montrer son appui à la Commission canadienne du blé (CCB) sur le site de l'exposition.
Une vingtaine de manifestants ont défilé en compagnie du président du syndicat, Terry Boehm, pour répéter que selon eux, la fin du monopole de la CCB serait désastreuse pour les agriculteurs.
Radio-Canada, le jeudi 16 juin 2011
Financial Post 500: CWB is one of Canada's biggest corporations
Waterloo $818-million transit, the bridges of Montreal, more than buses Halifax
Transport Action Canada
Hotline 1121, June 17, 2011
Waterloo Region votes yes to $818-million rail transit system
"In six years, expect to see trains on city streets, carrying passengers to work, home and school. In a historic decision, regional council voted 9-2 Wednesday to build an $818-million rail transit system, the largest public works project ever undertaken in the region. The approved plan and latest timeline suggests that by 2017 you will see electric trains, drawing power from overhead wires, running 19 kilometres between Conestoga Mall in Waterloo and Fairview Park mall in Kitchener," Jeff Outhit reported for the Waterloo Region Record on June 15.
"The trains will run in dedicated lanes, displacing traffic. They will travel at the speed of traffic, averaging about 30 km/h, and will share signalized intersections with traffic. They will trigger green lights while cross-traffic waits. Trains will pass every 7.5 to 15 minutes and stop at up to 18 platforms. Mall-to-mall travel time is estimated at 39 minutes, up to nine minutes faster than the schedule for express buses today. Fares are undetermined," the Waterloo Region Record reported.
Waterloo, the battle for better public transportation
"The grassroots Tri-Cities Transport Action Group (Tri-TAG) worked extremely hard to get this very strong vote, including organizing a rally on Saturday that drew 250 plus people in the rain. Tri-TAG also compiled a list of businesses, and institutions which supported the light rail concept. The opposition, an anti-tax group, mounted a big campaign to defeat light rail and seemed to have quite a bit of money," reports Tony Turrittin, Transport Action Ontario board member.
"Waterloo region is sending a message. It is possible to win the battle for better public transportation. It's a success that should cheer all of us up. There are certainly no lack of battles to be fought," Turrittin reports. He listed High speed rail. GO electrification. Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton light rail transit, northern Ontario rail passenger expansion, the Niagara-to-GTA Expressway and the 407 East extension.
There is no formal relationship between Tri-TAG and Transport Action, but membership overlaps.
Hotline 1121, June 17, 2011
Waterloo Region votes yes to $818-million rail transit system
"In six years, expect to see trains on city streets, carrying passengers to work, home and school. In a historic decision, regional council voted 9-2 Wednesday to build an $818-million rail transit system, the largest public works project ever undertaken in the region. The approved plan and latest timeline suggests that by 2017 you will see electric trains, drawing power from overhead wires, running 19 kilometres between Conestoga Mall in Waterloo and Fairview Park mall in Kitchener," Jeff Outhit reported for the Waterloo Region Record on June 15.
"The trains will run in dedicated lanes, displacing traffic. They will travel at the speed of traffic, averaging about 30 km/h, and will share signalized intersections with traffic. They will trigger green lights while cross-traffic waits. Trains will pass every 7.5 to 15 minutes and stop at up to 18 platforms. Mall-to-mall travel time is estimated at 39 minutes, up to nine minutes faster than the schedule for express buses today. Fares are undetermined," the Waterloo Region Record reported.
Waterloo, the battle for better public transportation
"The grassroots Tri-Cities Transport Action Group (Tri-TAG) worked extremely hard to get this very strong vote, including organizing a rally on Saturday that drew 250 plus people in the rain. Tri-TAG also compiled a list of businesses, and institutions which supported the light rail concept. The opposition, an anti-tax group, mounted a big campaign to defeat light rail and seemed to have quite a bit of money," reports Tony Turrittin, Transport Action Ontario board member.
"Waterloo region is sending a message. It is possible to win the battle for better public transportation. It's a success that should cheer all of us up. There are certainly no lack of battles to be fought," Turrittin reports. He listed High speed rail. GO electrification. Toronto, Ottawa and Hamilton light rail transit, northern Ontario rail passenger expansion, the Niagara-to-GTA Expressway and the 407 East extension.
There is no formal relationship between Tri-TAG and Transport Action, but membership overlaps.
Pont Mercier: Congestion routière: les maires veulent un comité d'urgence
War on car gets out of bike lane, train rapide avance lentement
Transport Action Canada, Hotline 1120, June 10, 2011
Electrify GO Transit, No little plan
Toronto Star letter writers liked T-REX an idea put forward by Transport Action, Clean Train Coalition and the Canadian Auto Workers in "No little plan: Electrify GO Transit". "I entirely agree with transport specialist Greg Gormick that the most cost effective way to improve the rail network in the Toronto area would be to make more use of the existing surface rail corridors that radiate from Union Station. Frequent, all-day services should run on all of these lines. The cost would be limited to new rolling stock and additional tracks where necessary," David Fairthorne wrote in a letter to the Toronto Star.
"Once again, we’re shown how world-last and stupid we are here. Instead of using the Weston rail corridor for effective transit of good benefit to many Torontonians, we are blowing bundles to service low-density suburbs and ensure that a monstrously polluting airport — which has a limited future due to peak oil — gets good service," Hamish Wilson wrote to the Star.
Note to Transport Canada, Sikorsky S-92 Helicopters can't fly for 30 minutes without oil
"The widow of a passenger who died in a chopper crash off Newfoundland two years ago says she is frustrated by Ottawa's plans to consult foreign regulators before requiring changes to the gearbox that was a cause of the disaster. Lori Chynn, whose husband John Pelley was aboard Cougar Flight 491, said the time has come for Transport Canada to order improvements on the crucial component instead of setting up more focus groups and meetings. Transport Canada said Tuesday it will first consult with American and European regulators before ordering any changes to a gearbox that lost oil and was a cause in the March 12, 2009, helicopter crash,"Michael Tutton wrote for the Canadian Press on June 7.
Aucune mesure budgétaire pour la reconstruction du pont Champlain
Pour le trolleybus, CWB and railways, T-REX
June 3, 2011, Transport Action Canada, Hotline 1119
Canadian Wheat Board takeover would damage prairie short line railways
"One of the functions of the CWB is to order up producer loading cars. Now the CWB is a big entity and CN and CP listen fairly closely. If the CWB isn't there it will be small co-ops and individual farmers asking for cars: the railways are required by law to provide cars but certainly they'll assign low priority to these requests. Cargill or other grain companies won't have the slightest interest in producer cars. Indeed, without a powerful agent on their side, the short lines so painfully started up and now running may well collapse for lack of cars," says Peter Lacey Transport Action Canada vice president for Western Canada.
À Transport 2000, on se réjouit de l'intérêt de Montréal pour le trolleybus
« Il a circulé à Montréal jusque dans les années 60, puis les autorités ont décidé de le mettre au rancart. Mais le trolleybus, sorte de croisement entre l'autobus et le tramway, n'a pas dit son dernier mot. La Société de transport de Montréal (STM) est même en train d'étudier son possible retour dans la métropole » Gabriel Béland a écrit pour la Presse le 1 juin 2011.
À Transport 2000, on se réjouit de l'intérêt de Montréal pour le trolleybus. Il s'agit d'un bon compromis entre le tramway, plus coûteux, et l'autobus, estime le directeur général, Normand Parisien. «C'est une percée qui pourrait être intéressante, parce qu'on obtient une partie des bénéfices du tramway sans ses délais de construction, explique-t-il. Parce que, comme on le constate, à Montréal, le tramway prend du temps à voir le jour » la Presse a rapporté.
T-REX, A rapid transit fix for Toronto
Canadian Wheat Board takeover would damage prairie short line railways
"One of the functions of the CWB is to order up producer loading cars. Now the CWB is a big entity and CN and CP listen fairly closely. If the CWB isn't there it will be small co-ops and individual farmers asking for cars: the railways are required by law to provide cars but certainly they'll assign low priority to these requests. Cargill or other grain companies won't have the slightest interest in producer cars. Indeed, without a powerful agent on their side, the short lines so painfully started up and now running may well collapse for lack of cars," says Peter Lacey Transport Action Canada vice president for Western Canada.
À Transport 2000, on se réjouit de l'intérêt de Montréal pour le trolleybus
« Il a circulé à Montréal jusque dans les années 60, puis les autorités ont décidé de le mettre au rancart. Mais le trolleybus, sorte de croisement entre l'autobus et le tramway, n'a pas dit son dernier mot. La Société de transport de Montréal (STM) est même en train d'étudier son possible retour dans la métropole » Gabriel Béland a écrit pour la Presse le 1 juin 2011.
À Transport 2000, on se réjouit de l'intérêt de Montréal pour le trolleybus. Il s'agit d'un bon compromis entre le tramway, plus coûteux, et l'autobus, estime le directeur général, Normand Parisien. «C'est une percée qui pourrait être intéressante, parce qu'on obtient une partie des bénéfices du tramway sans ses délais de construction, explique-t-il. Parce que, comme on le constate, à Montréal, le tramway prend du temps à voir le jour » la Presse a rapporté.
T-REX, A rapid transit fix for Toronto
Canadian Wheat Board for sale, réactions de producteurs
“Canada must protect this strategic resource called food," says Roy Atkinson, CM retired executive director of the National Farmers Union.
No business case to scrap the CWB, Pat Martin, MP
Canadian Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz said the government plans to introduce legislation to end the nation's grain-marketing monopoly by Aug. 1, 2012. ... "We're looking at the fall session" for the legislation, Mr. Ritz said. "It's a complex issue. It's going to take some work with the board itself, and with the industry groups that are affected, to come up with the right piece of legislation." Andrew Mayeda, Bloomberg News, Jun. 2, 2011.
Gerry Ritz a précisé son intention de mettre fin à la CCB
Le ministre a évoqué une refonte complète de la loi tant sur la question de la logistique, du classement que des garanties du gouvernement. Un porte-parole du ministre a réitéré que la CCB continuerait d'exister dans ce nouveau contexte comme une des options disponibles pour les producteurs. La CCB ne possède toutefois aucune infrastructure liée au stockage ou au transport du grain. Thierry Larivière La Terre de chez nous 06-02-2011
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