E-News

PEI Public Transit Coalition
E-News

1. Local
  1.1 PEI PTC Receives Funding From Health Canada
  1.2 Mike Cassidy of TRIUS Tours meets with PTC
  1.3 PTC members view new bus
  1.4 University to hand out free bikes
2. National
  2.1 Canadian Transit Ridership Breaks All-Time
Record in 2004
  2.2 Bill C-48 Passed in the House of Commons
  2.3 Centre for Sustainable Transportation Newsletter
3. International
  3.1 National Biodiesel Board, DOE, USDA Officials
Dispute Biofuels Study

******************

1. Local

1.1 PEI PTC Receives Funding From Health Canada

Funding for three years has been approved by Health
Canada to help the PTC with a project focusing on the
issue of social equity as related to mobility rights.
The first year will see the PTC establishing an
advisory committee specifically for this project,
conducting public forums throughout the province,
reviewing literature, and publishing a document on
social equity and mobility rights.

1.2 Mike Cassidy of TRIUS Tours meets with PTC

On Friday, Aug 5, the PTC hosted Mike Cassidy, co-owner
of TRIUS Tours, at a monthly Steering Committee
meeting.  TRIUS Tours has been contracted to run a new
Public Transit  System in Charlottetown.  The PTC was
pleased with Mr. Cassidy's enthusiasm and willingness
to share information.  As a coalition of key user
groups, the PTC understands that clear communication is
essential between the City, TRIUS, and the PTC in order
for the new public transit system to be succesful.  The
Coalition will be requesting that each member group
establish a travel policy that priorizes the use of the
City Transit by staff and volunteers.

Key points suggested by the PTC coming out of this
meeting follow:

-The PTC believes that bus shelters are a key selling
point for the system, especially in winter months, and
is urging TRIUS to work with the City on the issue and
also approach advertisers who may wish to subsidize
construction of the shelters in return for advertising
space.

-The PTC believes that the City should hire at least
a part-time administrator familiar with public transit
to provide oversight and to work with TRIUS to
continually improve the system.

1.3 Public Viewing of new buses

Members of the PTC have viewed one of the City's new
buses that they will be using in the public transit
system, scheduled to begin this October.  They have a
retro trolley look with wooden benches inside, and
panelling outside.  The buses seat 41 and are fully
accesible. One entrance has a ramp that extends
for wheelchairs with locks and space 3 wheelchairs
inside.

1.4 University to hand out free bikes

UPEI will lend bikes to some students this fall as
part of a new bike bursary program, although just five
people who apply for a bike will get one this year. 
While it has modest beginnings, there are hopes the
program will grow in coming years.  Almut Beringer,
who's spearheading the project to give out the
refurbished bikes, got the idea from a similar program
at the University of Victoria. "Students who are
getting a bike will be signing a contract taking
liability and responsibility for the bike," Beringer
said.  "Part of the student responsibility is to keep
the bike in roadworthy, working order during the year
and part of the university's commitment is to pay for
one annual tune-up. The university will also be
supplying locks for the bikes."  Students do have to
buy their own helmets. Student Union president Ryan
Gallant likes the bike-loan idea, and said might be
able to increase the stable.  "Other than throwing my
support behind it," he said, "I do have an old bike
that I think if they blow up the tires a bit more and
align the wheels they should be able to use for the
bike bursary program."  Next year Beringer plans to ask
the Charlottetown Police to donate stolen bikes that
haven't been reclaimed.  Beringer said she is looking
for donations of unused bikes that are still
"roadworthy and safe."  The university is spending
$500 on the project this year.

www.cbc.ca


2. National

2.1 Canadian Transit Ridership Breaks All-Time Record
in 2004

Canadian transit ridership for 2004 set a second
consecutive all-time record, breaking the previous
year's high.  A total of 1.59 billion transit trips
were taken across Canada last year, representing a 2.4
percent increase over 2003, a 3.8 percent increase
over 2002, and a 7.8 percent increase over 2001.  This
marks a significant milestone, representing a trend
towards continually increasing transit use.

www.cutaactu.on.ca

2.2 Bill C-48 Passed in the House of Commons

Late on the evening of Thursday 23 June 2005, two
months after an amendment to the original federal
budget for 2005 was negotiated between Prime Minister
Paul Martin and NDP Leader Jack Layton, Bill C-48
passed Third Reading.  This bill is historic in that it
approves the first-ever universal federal investment in
public transit.  One cent per litre (10%) of the
federal gas tax will be transferred to municipalities
across Canada over the next two years specifically
for investment in public transit.  This amounts to
$800-million and is over and above the $5-billion
committed as part of the original budget bill, a
significant part of which is also expected to go to
transit infrastructure.  The specifics will be the
subject of individual agreements with each province and
territory, two of which have already been signed in
Ontario and Quebec

www.cutaactu.on.ca

2.3 Centre for Sustainable Transportation Newsletter

The Centre for Sustaible Transportation's most recent
newsletter, Monitor 11, is available online.  The
Centre's move to the University of Winnipeg is the lead
story. The Monitor also deals with accomplishments of
the Centre to date, Emissions from Freight Transport,
Canada's Climate Change Plans, the recent Memo of
Understanding with the Auto Industry, Health and Youth
and Glimmers of Hope in achieving sustainable
transportation.

www.cstctd.org


3. International

3.1 National Biodiesel Board, DOE, USDA Officials
Dispute Biofuels Study Pimentel/Patzak Study Deeply
Flawed, Researchers Say

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. The National Biodiesel Board (NBB)
today condemned a recent study that claims biodiesel
takes more energy to produce than it yields, citing
instead more thoroughly conducted, peer-reviewed
studies that show biodiesel actually yields more than
three times the amount of energy it takes to produce.
The study that says biodiesel has a negative energy
balance was conducted by David Pimentel, an insect
specialist at Cornell, and Tad Patzek, a former oil
company employee who is now director of the University
of California Oil Consortium.

More than 500 major fleets use biodiesel nationwide
(USA). Biodiesel is nontoxic, biodegradable and
essentially free of sulfur and aromatics. Biodiesel
offers similar performance to petroleum diesel while
providing superior lubricity. It significantly reduces
emissions. To see the DOE/USDA study and a more
detailed response on the study

visit:

www.biodiesel.org.


*Each PTC E-News will be posted on the weblog:
www.peiptc.blogspot.com

Please send suggestions and current pt related news
stories/events to ptcpei@canada.com.