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| The celebrated festival is throwing its weight behind a campaign to keep Via Rail service. |
"Global News a aussi rapporté une rumeur selon laquelle la fréquence du train Halifax-Montréal serait réduite de six à trois voyages par semaine. Cette rumeur circule depuis un an et inquiète Gaspésiens et Bas-Laurentiens. «Plusieurs Gaspésiens de la portion ouest du territoire prennent le train à Campbellton ou Matapédia les jours où le train Chaleur ne circule pas», dit Cynthia Patterson, de Dignité rurale. Généralement bien informée de ce qui se passe à VIA Rail, elle n'a rien entendu quant à un arrêt du service à Gaspé," Gilles Gagné a rapporté pour Le Soleil le 9 juin 2012.
"Elle ne croit pas que VIA Rail, dans une éventualité où les trains de Gaspé et de Halifax feraient trois voyages par semaine, choisisse de les utiliser en alternance, ce qui offrirait six trains hebdomadaires aux gens de l'ouest de la baie des Chaleurs, du secteur de Matapédia et des Plateaux, de la vallée de la Matapédia, de Rimouski, et de Rivière-du-Loup, notamment. «VIA Rail voudra sans doute épargner le maximum d'argent. Faire rouler les trains Chaleur et Océan ensemble entre Montréal et Matapédia coûte moins cher, sur le plan de l'exploitation parce que ça ne prend qu'une seule équipe dans la locomotive, mais comme service public, c'est le pire scénario», dit Mme Patterson. http://is.gd/WvXJK7
Transport Canada tight-lipped about security at Pearson, Harry Gow
"Uneasy air travellers might wonder, but authorities won’t tell them how officials bolstered security after a man entered the grounds of Pearson airport, boarded an aircraft and hid in a compartment," Tony Van Alphen wrote for the Toronto Star on Jun 8.
Harry Gow, founder of Transport Action Canada, a citizen transportation advocacy group, said he understands the government has to be discreet about security issues, but it should provide some information to travellers. “A modicum of general information would be reassuring for the travelling public in a case like this,” he noted. http://is.gd/QcO60x
Via Rail, Stratford wants service more than ever
"The Stratford Shakespeare Festival is working with (Stratford Mayor) Mathieson to compel Via to keep the train schedule intact by reaching out to its president," Laura Cudworth wrote for the Stratford Beacon Herald on June 8.
"The train service is an important alternative for our visitors and we regularly hear from visitors that they want more options for public transportation to Stratford. We will share this information about our patrons with Via to help persuade them to retain the schedule or replace the possible discontinued runs with new ones," said Anita Gaffney, administrative director at the Festival," the Stratford Beacon Herald reported. http://is.gd/JcqE78
6-lane Pattullo bridge not in best interests of Metro Vancouver
On June 8, 2012 Matthew Buchanan posted a Transport Action BC letter sent to TransLink this week. "We are writing regarding TransLink’s decision to replace the aging Pattullo Bridge with a wider, 6-lane facility. We do not think that a higher capacity Pattullo Bridge is in the best interests of our region. It meets neither the goals of TransLink’s 2040 vision, nor does it fit into the strategies set out to meet TransLink’s goals. Given the extraordinary cost and risk of this project, the relatively small constituency it serves and the exemplary opportunity in this corridor to create the 2040 mode shift which is so critical to the economic viability and livability of our region, we urge TransLink to rethink its plans for this bridge," Transport Action BC wrote. http://is.gd/fqToXA
Truro, Public support sought for rumoured cuts to VIA Rail service
"Speculation about potential cuts to VIA Rail’s Halifax to Montreal run has led to the creation of an online petition seeking public support for the service. “As I am sure you are aware, over the past couple of weeks rumours have been circulating in the media regarding proposed cuts to VIA Rail Canada,” said an employee who works on board VIA’s Ocean run," the Truro Daily News reported on June 12.
“It’s just basically to create public awareness that this is what is being speculated to happen,” the employee, who asked not to be identified for job security reasons, said of the petition. The petition can be found at http://is.gd/bKXbah ," the Truro Daily News reported.
Federal budget cuts lead to VIA Rail cuts
A handout used during a Halifax budget protest reports: The 2012-13 budget contains cuts to financial support for Crown Corp VIA Rail train service. This constraint has led VIA to plan shrinking of train service across the country from Halifax to Vancouver Island.
"These cuts were to have been announced on May 28 at VIA's Annual Public Meeting in Winnipeg, but rumours of cuts were leaked and they sparked a public reaction so the government decided to postpone any announcement until after the current parliamentary session ends in late June to minimize criticism from opposition MPs and holiday focussed citizens.
"Rumoured cuts include reduction of service in the off-season on the Toronto-Vancouver transcontinental, the Canadian, and on routes through Kitchener and to Niagara Falls in southwestern Ontario. But the biggest cut of all will be a 50% reduction in service on our Maritimes only remaining train, the “Ocean” from 6 to 3 days per week.
"Politically speaking, the goal of the federal government seems to be to let VIA take public criticism for the cuts, while avoiding discussion of the root cause which is a gradually reduced VIA budget over the next 3 years, 2012 to 2015," the handout used at the Bill C-38 protest at the Halifax Grand Parade this week.
City of Ottawa report costs Carling Ave LRT 19 time higher that Toronto's St. Clair, David Jeanes
"The (Interim Western LRT Corridor Planning and Environmental Assessment) almost looked like it was intended to raise the projected cost of the line along Carling as high as possible," Ken Gray wrote in the Ottawa Citizen on June 12. "My suspicions were confirmed by notes from David Jeanes of Transport Action Canada (formerly Transport 2000) from his recent presentation to the city transportation committee. The notes, emailed to my blog The Bulldog, say the Carling Avenue cost estimate in the city report is about 19 times higher than a similar line in Toronto along St. Clair Avenue. While experts can debate whether Carling is similar to the St. Clair project, those arguments would be rendered moot if the cost comparison were merely double. Instead this projection is an outrageous 19 times higher.
"Furthermore, Jeanes, a transit advocate, says grade separation is not necessary along the Carling Avenue route — and it is those proposed separations that are raising costs astronomically. Gates could block traffic while the train speeds by. Jeanes also says, and even the sketchy EA concurs, that of the three major western route options (Carling, the Byron linear park and the Ottawa River Parkway), Carling would have the largest ridership," Ken Gray wrote for the Ottawa Citizen. http://is.gd/YkMWKw
Transport 2000 Québec, Assemblée générale annuelle 35e anniversaire
Montréal, le 14 juin 2012 – L’association Transport 2000 Québec annonce la nomination d’un nouveau président, monsieur Pierre Cardinal. En effet, les membres ont célébré mardi soir le 35e anniversaire de fondation de l’organisme et ont eu droit par la même occasion à un discours énonçant la vision de son président qui sera en fonction au cours des deux prochaines années.
Monsieur Cardinal a déjà une feuille de route appréciable dans une carrière où il s’emploie jour après jour à aider nombre de fédérations et de regroupements dans leur développement organisationnel et leur vision d’entreprise. Ainsi a-t-il accueilli sa nomination à la tête du regroupement dont il est une jeune recrue au conseil d’administration, n’étant membre que depuis novembre dernier :
J’accueille cette élection avec honneur, humilité, mais aussi avec un questionnement manifeste, car j’arrive à la tête d’un mouvement qui existe depuis 35 ans, et qui a un riche héritage. Sans avoir toute l’expertise en transport, je me sens bien entouré à ce chapitre ce soir, mais attendez-vous à ce que je questionne l’avenir de Transport 2000, avec les nouveaux défis qui se présentent à nous, les obstacles potentiels et la pléthore d’organisations actives dans ce milieu. C’est pourquoi j’invite tous les membres et le public intéressé à un rendez-vous privilégié, d’ici à la rentrée, pour un congrès d’orientation où nous réfléchirons ensemble à notre utilité dans la communauté, et établirons des priorités claires en conséquence !
Les membres ont aussi élu les administrateurs suivants pour l’épauler dans cette tâche : madame Muriel di Battista, messieurs Pierre Frisko, Vincent-Carl Leriche, Samuel Massicotte, Jacques Fortin et Jacques Landry. Monsieur Robert A. Dubé, président sortant, a accepté de rester quelque temps pour appuyer le groupe et monsieur Anthony Frayne demeure trésorier de la corporation. Transport 2000 Québec est une association nationale sans but lucratif vouée à la défense des droits et des intérêts des usagers du transport en commun et à la promotion des transports collectifs et de l’intégration des modes (intermodalité).
Cash, new members, volunteers are always welcome
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You can email the national watchdog group at info@transport-action.ca or phone Transport Action Canada at (613) 594-3290. You can forward this hotline to your MP whose contact info is at http://is.gd/Q5JHYT
CTA decisions: Prince of Wales Bridge, Extend the O-Train to Hull
http://www.otc-cta.gc.ca/eng/ruling/210-r-2012
Prince of Wales Bridge: See also
http://michaelkostiuk.com/powbridge/index.html