Regent Park, Toronto, We got richer and we're worth it

Regent Park residents will tell their stories
at a news conference on Apr. 2.

At a news Conference, residents will tell the real story about what is happening in their neighbourhood

Join members of the Regent Park community who will speak first-hand about what the revitalization means to them, as Phase One is complete and Phase Two is well underway.

As early as the 1960’s, Regent Park residents were concerned about the deterioration of their homes, lack of streets and stigma. In 1995, residents got the attention of government and moved forward with a dream that took 17 years to come to fruition.

Come hear the stories from those who have been impacted the most through this revitalization.

DATE: Monday April 02, 2012

TIME: 10:15 a.m.

LOCATION: Northeast corner of Regent Street and Oak Street,

Toronto. 

LRT in Ontario, Politiques de transport et orientations budgétaires

Citizen groups are wresting with the details of
LRT plans in Waterloo and Ottawa. Toronto's
plan looks like it's back on track.
( Graphic from Tri-Tag )

Transport Action Ontario AGM, April 21 

Transport Action Ontario's Annual General Meeting and public forum will be held:

Saturday, April 21, 2012, Metro Hall

55 John St., Toronto, Room 303

AGM, 10:00 a.m. – 11:45 a.m. Public Welcome

Afternoon public forum: 1:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. Public Welcome

Greg Gormick, among others, will lead discussions in the afternoon. Gormick is a top transportation writer whose credits include the original plan for the Shining Waters Railway from Peterborough to Toronto http://is.gd/j3JFEJ and No little plan: Electrify Go Transit http://is.gd/72nM4h . Gormick will join other panelists to discuss "Via Rail, The next ten years". Regional representatives will lead talks on light rail developments in Ottawa, Kitchener-Waterloo, Hamilton, Mississauga and Toronto.

Jean Desautels, Politiques de transport et orientations budgétaires du Québec

Le 22 mars l’association Transport 2000 Québec a réagi avec circonspection au budget du ministre des Finances Raymond Bachand.  Tout en exprimant sa déception au silence du Ministre sur le dossier des transports collectifs, l’organisme se dit à tout le moins encouragé par la nouvelle mesure axée sur une éventuelle bourse du carbone comme outil de financement

Ainsi, tout en étant déçu que le ministre des Finances fasse peu de cas de l’importance des investissements en transport collectif, le vice-président de l’Association monsieur Jean Desautels trouve une certaine consolation quant à la mise en place d’un marché du carbone comme moyen de financement dans les années à venir.  Toutefois, on aurait pu s’attendre à plus d’activisme du Gouvernement dans la mesure où le discours inaugural 2011-2012 à l’Assemblée nationale ouvrait la voie dans cette direction.  Transport 2000 s’intéressera de plus près au renouvellement de la politique de financement, attendue depuis l’an dernier, en interpellant non seulement les autorités gouvernementales mais aussi les autres formations politiques dans la perspective d’une campagne électorale à venir.

Devil is in the details, David Jeanes on Ottawa LRT plan

Delete user data, truth in airline ads, les prix plus élevés au Canada

PIAC urges consumers to get
your 2 cents in on Bell's plan
to raise payphone rates to $1.00.

Public Interest Advocacy Centre News  

In this issue:

- A fantastic victory to protect the privacy of teenagers online

- Pourquoi les prix sont-ils plus élevés au Canada?
- Online spying, indiscriminate “fishing expeditions”
- PIAC still working on truth in airline ads

PIAC, Protecting the privacy of teenagers online

"Edmonton-based Nexopia, which bills itself as "the place to be for teens looking to express themselves," is refusing to give users the option to permanently delete their data, despite Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart's recommendation that such an option was required to comply with Canadian law," CBC News reported on Mar. 1. PIAC's Janet Lo, who worked on the case, told the CBC the move is "a huge step forward for online youth privacy." The Commissioner is now considering going to Federal Court to get her recommendation enforced the CBC reported.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/03/01/technology-nexopa-privacy.html

Spectrum auction, Nothing set aside for competitors to the wireless big three 

On March 14 the federal government announced it will open the door to more foreign ownership of wireless companies but would not set aside spectrum for smaller players. The wireless market is dominated by Bell, Rogers and Telus which can exercise market power to the detriment of wireless consumers.  Executive Director  of PIAC Michael Janigan says that while the government may have been inclined to be sympathetic to consumer and competition concerns, it had been squeezed by the predictions of service failure, made by the big 3 wireless providers, unless they got access to spectrum without set-asides. Janigan also notes PIAC's disappointment that the public use set-aside for innovation and common use was not accepted. PIAC is also disappointed with the framework failure to include mandatory roaming and tower sharing provisions.

Big wireless backing consumer rights!

Driven to Distraction International Conference Presentations

Transport Canada is studying in-car driver
distractions. 

The Canadian Automobile Association and the Traffic Injury Research Foundation hosted the Driven to Distraction International Conference on March 1, 2012 in Toronto, Canada.

The Evolution of Distracted Driving 
Robyn Robertson, M.C.A., President and CEO, Traffic Injury Research Foundation

Generally estimated that distraction is a factor in 20-30% of crashes.
TIRF data show:
- 13-16% of fatality crashes
- 23-27% of injury crashes
- 100-Car Naturalistic Study showed distraction a factorin 33% of crashes and 27% of near-crashes.

http://www.distracteddriving.ca/presentations/EvolutionDistractedDriving-SpeakerRobertson.pdf

Distracted Driving in Canada 
Brian Jonah, Senior researcher, The Canadian Council of Motor Transport Administrators (CCMTA)

The presentation covered "observational" surveys done by the CCMTA show a decline in drivers' cell phone use from 5.9 per cent in 2007 to 3.3 in 2010 for urban Canada. Jonah's report notes problems with the methodology and outlines the plan for the next survey.

http://www.distracteddriving.ca/presentations/Panel-RangeofDistractions-SpeakerJonah.pdf

The Effects of Different Types of Distractions: Findings from the EU 
Dr. George Yannis, University of Athens

Who cares about bus riders? Le Colloque ferroviaire annuel

Annual Railway Symposium in Quebec City next week. 

Good news for the Miramichi, Bad news for Via Rail, no news on trucking safety, le corridor ferroviaire entre les gares Montréal-Ouest et Dorion and more news in today's Transport Action Hotline.

Transport Action Atlantic, Government should intervene in ongoing Acadian Lines dispute

"An advocate for public transit in the Maritimes says it's absurd that the federal government is taking quick action to prevent an airline strike but hasn't taken steps to help end a lingering bus strike. Bus riders in the Maritimes are into their fourth month of a dispute that has cancelled all intercity bus service in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island and prevented buses in Nova Scotia from travelling outside that province," Shawn Berry reported for the Moncton Times & Transcript on March 15.

"Mike Perry sees a difference in the way the federal government is intervening in the two disputes. He said it's absurd that governments will subsidize airlines but won't consider doing so for the bus. "I think it has to do with the class of people perceived as being the users of the two services," said the St. Andrews resident who is also a member of Transport Action Atlantic."Businessmen and people who are reasonably moneyed use airplanes. Bus is more for people who don't have a high income and are lower on the priority list," the Moncton Times & Transcript reported.

TRAQ,  Le Colloque ferroviaire annuel du Québec des 28 et 29 mars

Le CN offre un déjeuner Speed Dating, mercredi 28 mars entre 07 h 30 et 10 h 00. Dernière chance pour vous inscrire à ce déjeuner. Il faut s’inscrire en en faisant la demande ici. Nous avons 24 kiosques que vous pourrez visiter gratuitement le 28 mars à l’hôtel PLAZA, entre 10 h 00 et 16 h 00.
http://is.gd/ris96g

Industrial Rail layoffs may hurt Via Rail, David Jeanes says

Spectrum auction rules likely mean more of Bell, Rogers and Telus

PIAC's Michael Janigan is hopeful
newcomers will be active in the
spectrum auction but...
(CBC photo)

Strengthening of wireless competition is no sure thing, telecom consumer group says

The Public Interest Advocacy Centre (PIAC) was a participant in the design of the auction process both for the 2008 Spectrum auction, and the development of the framework announced today. PIAC’s interests are in ensuring access and affordable prices and choices for ordinary consumers.

“Spectrum auctions  are meant  to  provide  outcomes  that best meet the public interest”, said Michael Janigan, Executive Director and General Counsel of PIAC. “That is not always synonymous with getting the most money," he added.

Currently, the wireless market is still dominated by 3 major players who can exercise market power to the detriment of wireless consumers. The 2008 auction set the stage for new entrant competition that has shown some promise in its ability to provide some price and service rivalry.  Janigan noted that the government decision tried to maintain the competitive momentum, but leaves uncertainty with respect to the future of those new entrants and the fledging competition.

Railway safety, trucking safety, Pas de station de train léger

Coalition for Algoma Passenger
Trains will host a second
screening of the new
documentary film in the
Soo on March 24.

Une station de train léger, Rough rides on OC Transpo, Positive Train Control, Nous avons des solutions concrètes and more in today's Transport Action Canada Hotline.


Winnipeg, City committee favours articulated Ottawa lemons

"The used articulated buses Winnipeg wants to buy have been called "lemons" and were part of Ottawa’s old fleet that had faulty parts that caused some buses to catch fire. Ottawa used the buses between 2001 and 2004, and media reports show that some articulated buses had defective parts and faulty brakes which caused some buses to catch fire. In April 2010, Ottawa city council voted to replace 226 of its articulated buses with newer, fuel-efficient models," Jen Skerritt wrote for the Winnipeg Free Press on March 8. http://is.gd/tkJfkZ

Transport Action Canada's Peter Lacey observes the OC Transpo buses also experienced handling problems in cold and snowy weather.

Building rural transit, Les Transports Adaptés et Collectifs des Collines

There's transit in them there hills thanks to the legendary Harry Gow. Last month he announced his retirement from the board of the local transit system serving communities in Quebec's Gatineau Hills north of Ottawa. Gow, the founding president of Transport Action Canada, has done much to build up Les Transports Adaptés et Collectifs des Collines.

On Feb. 23, in Val-des-Monts, the groups's annual meeting  learned more and more people are using rural transit in the Gatineaus. Rural transit ridership in the MRC des Collines doubled in 2011, from 568 riders to 1,119, and  has more than tripled since 2008. http://is.gd/QDR72E

Train 92 Aldershot tragedy, Why no high speed switch?

"Why is there no "high speed switch" built into such a busy triple track mainline," Transport Action Ontario's Avrum Regenstreif wrote in the wake of the tragic Via Rail crash on Feb 26. "With the very heavy mixed use traffic, in which the design speed for most this area of line is well above the actual train speed at the time, it is totally unacceptable to use a low speed switch."

"One need only open a copy of Trains, International Railway Journal, or Railway Gazette to see full page ads by manufacturers of high speed switches. There is and has long been technology available around the world for high speed switch designs which can easily and safely accommodate trains at speeds of 100 -120km/hr, or even higher on double track, triple track or quadruple lines, to allow trains on mixed use lines to pass each other, or change tracks  safely at higher speeds. I suspect that there are already higher speed switches elsewhere on CN's mainlines which do not require freight or passenger trains to slow down from 108km/hr. to 24km/hr. for a switch point and then speed up again to 100km/hr," Avrum Regenstreif wrote.

More technology doesn't guarantee safety, David Jeanes 

"(E)very system has its limits, (Transport Action's David) Jeanes said. Positive train control won't keep locomotives from smashing into vehicles or people at rail crossings _ among the most common types of railway deaths, he said. And technology can fail or be turned off, Jeanes notes, pointing to the Costa Concordia disaster that killed at least 25 people in January," Paola Loriggio wrote for the Canadian Press on March 4.

"That doesn't mean technological safeguards should be scrapped, Jeanes said, adding the benefits still outweigh the pitfalls. "If someone runs a red light, you don't blame the technology," the Canadian Press reported. http://is.gd/kHoFYS

France, Transport 2000, Nous avons des solutions concrètes

Building rural transit, Les Transports Adaptés et Collectifs des Collines

There's transit in them there hills thanks to
the legendary Harry Gow. Last month
Gow  announced his retirement from the
local transit system serving communities in
Quebec's Gatineau Hills north of Ottawa. 

On Feb. 23, in Val-des-Monts, the annual meeting of Les Transports Adaptés et Collectifs des Collines learned that more and more people are using rural  transit in the Gatineau Hills.  User numbers of rural transit in the MRC des Collines doubled in 2011, from 568 riders to 1,119, and  more than tripled from 2008.

The number of riders on "Transport Adapté" for persons with disabilities increased by nearly 20 per cent, so the growth rate of regular and adapted transit combined grew by a startling 76 per cent, while vehicle - kms dropped by about 25 per cent through increased sharing ofvehicles.

William Robertson, Director of the rural transit agency, and its Development Agent, Benoit Legros told those present at the  annual meeting - including the Mayors of Val-des-Monts and of Chelsea - of progress towards the creation of a wider transit system in the Gatineau Hills.  Plans approved by the MRC  (County) Council and by the CRÉO (Regional Council) call for
the creation of regular commuter runs within the four "core" municiplaities of La Pêche, Val-des-Monts, Chelsea and Cantley, and from them into the city of Gatineau.

Rail travel safety, Le manque de transport en commun

If they take the train away, chances are it's gone
for good. Photo courtesy of Steve Boyko
traingeek.ca

Compelling case for LRT, Steve Boyko donates images to the Via Rail campaign, le train filait à 108 km/h, DRIC environmental assessment and more news in today's Transport Action Canada Hotline.

Rail experts call for dedicated rail line for passenger trains

"Everyday dozens of trains carry thousands of people along the Windsor-Quebec corridor. It's the busiest Via route in the country. But CN owns the tracks so these passenger trains must take a backseat to freight trains. They sit on sidings while goods go first. Transport experts say one solution is a dedicated passenger track running parallel to the freight line, using Via's existing equipment," Maureen Brosnahan reported for CBC News World Report on Feb. 28

"David Jeanes heads up Transport Action Canada, a consumer lobby group. He says passenger trains are short and could travel faster since they don't require the heavy duty track needed to bare tons of freight. He says such systems have proven safe in other places," Brosnahan reported.

Jeanes told CBC World Report: We could improve safety and we could provide a much better transportation network. There's never been a passenger fatality on the Bullet Trains in Japan and there's never been a fatality on the French TGV trains on the high speed lines in France.

La Presse, Le déraillement de train causé par une vitesse excessive

«Le train de VIA Rail ayant déraillé dimanche à Burlington, en Ontario, tuant trois cheminots, circulait quatre fois plus vite que la limite prescrite. L'analyse de la boîte noire de la locomotive a permis aux enquêteurs du Bureau de la sécurité des transports (BST) de constater que le train filait à 108 km/h lorsqu'il a tenté de changer de voie. La limite de vitesse pour une telle manoeuvre est plutôt de 24 km/h. Le train 92, qui faisait la liaison entre Niagara Falls et Toronto, a déraillé et la locomotive a percuté un bâtiment industriel bordant la voie. Les trois mécaniciens à bord de la locomotive sont morts et 46 passagers ont été blessés» Pierre-André Normandin a rapporté pour La Presse le 01 mars. http://is.gd/Tsf0nF

Steve Boyko, Canadian photographer donates images to the Via Rail campaign