PTC E-News 10

PTC E-News 10

1 Local

1.1 And what about public transit for PEI? The 2006 Budget Address
1.2 Budget reveals another deficit
1.3 The Richmond St. View

2 National

2.1 Halifax MetroLink Phase II in operation!
2.2 GO Transit to initiate SmartCard service
2.3 Two-tiered transit in Toronto?
2.4 Transport Canada reveals urban traffic congestion study

3 International

3.1 Toledo, OH buses go hybrid!
3.2 Singapore's new fully automatic Metro line
3.3 EU committee outlines importance of public transit to climate change


1 Local

1.1 And what about public transit for PEI? The 2006 Budget Address

Based on past contributions, it should have been a foregone conclusion that the provincial budget address failed to provide hope for Islanders interested in getting moving on public transit. In spite of the inclusion of a number of sub-sections on community development, seniors and tourism in his budget speech, Treasurer Mitch Murphy will apparently require more convincing with respect to the community and health benefits of public transportation. Please follow this link to access a PDF version of the 2006 Budget Address for more in-depth analysis:

http://www.gov.pe.ca/budget/2006/address.pdf


1.2 Budget reveals another deficit

PEI Tories post another budget deficit

ALISON AULD
Canadian Press

Charlottetown —

Prince Edward Island's Tory government posted a small deficit Thursday in a budget described by the province's treasurer as a stay-the-course document that will put the Island on track for a balanced budget next year.
The 2006-07 deficit was projected at $12.5-million, with expenditures rising 2.6 per cent to $1.2-billion. The province, with a population of 138,000, carries a net debt of $1.3-billion.
Provincial Treasurer Mitch Murphy tried to put an optimistic spin on the bland financial statement, insisting that the country's smallest province is on its way to more robust economic times.
“We're pleased with where the economy is,” he told reporters before reading his third budget in the provincial legislature. “It represents a major turning point in the government's direction.”
It's the third consecutive time Premier Pat Binns' government has recorded a deficit since the most recent election in September 2003.
“We've taken this as a balanced approach, a very deliberate approach to continue the economic progress that the province is making,” Mr. Binns said.
“No one should be alarmed by the fact that we have a small deficit. What they should be happy about is that deficit continues to come down.”
The province recorded a $33-million deficit in 2004-05. The deficit forecast for 2005-06 is $18 million.
The Island sits almost alone with its deficit among several other provinces that have recently posted surpluses or balanced budgets.
Newfoundland tabled its budget Thursday, posting a $6.2-million surplus for 2006-07.
Of the eight other provinces and territories that have brought down budgets this year, only Ontario and Nunavut have recorded deficits.
Still, the budget is unlikely to offend Island residents as it contains no new taxes and a modest increase in overall spending.
About 38 per cent of the Island's budget — $458-million — comes from federal payments. That almost covers the province's health-care costs.


1.3 The Richmond St. View

I wrote this letter in response to two posts on the Stratford town website from citizens concerned about public transit and increased taxes in Stratford:

The long-term cost of not bringing public transit to Stratford heavily outweighs the short-term gain in municipal tax contributions you MIGHT receive by maintaining the status quo!
Stratford is growing at an extraordinary rate and will only continue to do so within the next several years. In order to allow ALL citizens of Stratford to reap the benefits of this increase in population and consequently in tax revenue, future civic infrastructure needs to IMPROVE community services. More people will mean, unfortunately, more vehicles and more space required for parking these vehicles. Road infrastructure, which is already in a regrettable state on many of our local roads, will only require further tax dollars for maintenance and improvement. Public transit actually curbs road destruction. Furthermore, by implementing a public transit service in Stratford, not only will those citizens who cannot access a private vehicle obtain access to the services in town that they require, but the environmental and health improvements provided by public transit would be putting tax dollars toward a COMMUNITY project from which all citizens could benefit. Stratford is a wonderful community that will only be bettered by a public transit system. A designated tax specifically oriented towards subsidizing Stratford public transit would be, in my humble estimation, supported by an overwhelming majority of our residents.

With respect to the "dismal" Charlottetown Transit system, I wonder what we will be thinking when in a few short years our gas prices rise to over $3.00 per litre and many of us are forced to change our daily habits because we cannot afford to drive private vehicles...
The Charlottetown Transit, which is still in its infancy, has continually posted growing ridership numbers and should be a model for the entire province. For many of us not "fortunate" enough to have access to a private vehicle, public transit is our lifeline. Charlottetown Transit should be commended for providing ALL of us with a wonderful public service which will only continue to grow.

Most irksome to me, however, is the car-driven mentality which consumes many of us on Prince Edward Island. How is it possible that Prince Edward Island is incapable of providing its citizens with extended public transit services across the province when most Caribbean Island nations have an extensive public transportation system available for all? It makes me wonder sometimes if, in fact, we are a First-World nation in name only. For this reason, Stratford should act as a talisman for the growth of public transit on PEI and implement this beneficial public service.

Aaron Hawkins
PTC Public Education and Outreach


2 National

2.1 Halifax MetroLink Phase II in operation!

On Monday, February 20th 2006, Mayor Peter Kelly, along with Federal, Provincial and Municipal officials, launched Phase II of Halifax Regional Municipality’s (HRM’s) limited-stop direct MetroLink service from the Sackville area to the downtown.
The introduction of Phase II is a culmination of over two years of planning after HRM was awarded funding through Transport Canada’s Urban Transportation Showcase Program. Others partners in the project were the Province of Nova Scotia and the Halifax Regional Municipality. The MetroLink service was designed to attract new riders to public transit and ultimately to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.
The Urban Transportation Showcase Program aims to demonstrate how communities can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and achieve other benefits such as cleaner air and reduced congestion through integrated sustainable transportation initiatives. Halifax is one of five cities across Canada under the program that is leading by example and sharing their experiences with other communities to help foster the implementation of similar approaches.
“The Government of Canada will continue to work with the provinces and municipalities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions through programs like the Urban Transportation Showcase Program ”, said Lawrence Cannon, federal Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. “Innovative projects such as MetroLink provide Halifax and Canadians alike with sustainable transportation options while helping achieve our goals of reducing GHG emissions.”
Nova Scotia Minister of Energy, Cecil Clarke added, “The province is pleased to support projects that encourage alternate transportation modes while contributing to a healthier and greener province. It’s vital that initiatives such as these continue in order to reduce the production of harmful emissions.”
At this morning’s launch, Mayor Peter Kelly said “The introduction of phase II of the MetroLink service to the Sackville area clearly demonstrates the success of this new service to HRM. The municipality’s transit system is a key component of the proposed Regional Plan and the fact that we’re already working towards those improvements with projects like the MetroLink service is key to the plan’s success.”
HRM’s MetroLink is a $13.3 million project, which includes the establishment of two MetroLink corridors using transit signal priority and limited stops to create competitive trip times. Twenty buses will be used to service both Portland Hills and Sackville corridors, with 10-minute peak service.
Transport Canada contributed $4.1 million; HRM contributed $8.4 million; the Nova Scotia Department of Transportation and Public Works contributed $705,000, while the Nova Scotia Department of Energy provided $80,000 towards the project. TRAX of the Ecology Action Centre is a public education partner in the project.
Phase I of the MetroLink service was launched in Portland Hills in August 2005 with unprecedented success.

2.2 GO Transit to initiate SmartCard service

KEVIN MCGRAN
TRANSPORTATION REPORTER

GO Transit wants to give "reward miles" to commuters, build a dedicated bus lane on the Don Valley Parkway and run local transit services to feed its suburban stations, says its top official.

"We're pushing forward with small successes," general manager Gary McNeil told a transportation summit run by the Strategy Institute think tank at the Delta Chelsea. "It's one little battle after another, but eventually we are going to win."

Currently, GO is part of a provincial pilot project to bring "smart card" fare payment to transit users across the GTA, the first step to a reward-based fare system. The pilot project will be underway in 2007 for commuters on Mississauga's Milton line. They'll swipe a card through a reader to pay their fare.

When the project rolls out in full, GO will abandon its monthly passes and 10-ride passes in favour of a program where the more you take GO, the less you'll pay each time, McNeil said.

The fare card will act as a transit bank account; when you use the system, money will be deducted.

"Your ticket price will gradually decrease as you use the system. You won't have to worry whether you should buy a monthly pass this month if you're going on vacation, or whether you should buy a 10-ride ticket. The card will do the thinking for you.


"You won't have to think about the cost of transit any more. It will be on a card — it will make it more convenient.


"It's got a computer chip that makes it smart. It knows where you are when you get on and off, and charges you for it."

Other proposals include:

Encouraging suburban municipalities to stop allowing big-box development around GO stations, instead asking them to build business centres that would promote train use.

Paying municipalities to put in bus-priority lanes.

Trying to convince the City of Toronto to agree to dedicated bus lanes on the DVP. McNeil said GO is willing to foot the $2 million bill for upgrading the shoulders on the DVP for use by buses only, but said the project doesn't appear to be a priority for city staff.

Starting up local transit systems, or having that service contracted out, to get suburban commuters to GO train stations faster. As it is, transit in places such as Oakville, Brampton and Whitby try to serve students and seniors, preferring to let GO commuters make their own way to the station by car.

"We've embraced the car by providing more parking lots," said McNeil, who said GO added 8,000 spots over five years to bring the total to more than 45,000. "We're probably the largest parking authority in the GTA."

But space is limited for new lots and it makes sense for GO to run its own service to save parking spaces, McNeil said.

"I'm saying ultimately if local transit doesn't respond to this stuff, we've got to do it," he said. "We're running out of land and it costs a lot of money to build parking structures. I'd much rather people came by local transit if the service was there ... It's a case where we maybe provide the contractor with little shuttle buses and then define the route."

GO also has plans to extend trains to 12 cars from 10, build new tracks to beef up service and buy double-decker buses to add seating space.

McNeil said the ridership growth strategies will eventually mean GO Transit will recoup 95 per cent of its operating costs through fares by topping 50 million passengers annually in 2010.

GO already recoups 86 per cent of its operating revenue through fares, tops in the world except for a couple of systems in Asia that make money through land development and leasing deals, McNeil said.

"We are probably the top performer in the world," said McNeil, adding the TTC would be second at about 78 per cent. "If you are an accountant, that's good news because it shows we're taking care of the bottom line.

"But as a transit authority, it means we're pushed to the limit of our capacity, standing room only and pent-up demand."

2.3 Two-tiered transit in Toronto?

Toronto Star, March 25, 2006

Is two-tier transit coming to Toronto?

GABE GONDA
CITY HALL BUREAU

Is two-tier transit coming to Toronto?

A private company plans to begin selling tickets today for a bus that would take people to Union Station from the condominiums along Lake Shore Blvd. west of the Humber River.

The bus will be an alternative, the company says, to overcrowded streetcars that can't keep up with the demands of a booming lakefront condo population.

The service is pegged to cost $199.99 for a month's pass.

There's just one potential problem with the proposed Humber Bay Express: The Toronto Transit Commission thinks it's illegal and one official says a move will be made to shut it down.

"The City of Toronto Act says the only people who can run public transit is the TTC," Vince Rodo, the TTC's general secretary, said this week.

And Etobicoke-Lakeshore Councillor Mark Grimes thinks it should stay that way.

Grimes, a TTC commissioner, has been working with the Humber Bay Shores Condominium Association to try to persuade the TTC to add express bus service to an area that has seen condominiums springing up. He said the commission will consider adding a route if he and the condo group can sell 70 monthly Metropasses in the area. So far, that hasn't happened.
But when told about the Humber Bay Express, Grimes was unequivocal.

"I wouldn't be in favour of it," he said.

Howard Moscoe, who chairs the TTC, said: "The TTC has a monopoly on public transit. If people start creaming off lucrative public routes, it would do irreparable damage to the system."

Rodo said services like the Humber Bay Express have been proposed before and most of the time prospective owners drop their plans when they find out about the law. Jim Lord, head of the Humber Bay Shores Condominium Association, said the bus plan highlights the need for transit service in the area.

For Anna Chakina, a resident of 2088 Lake Shore Blvd. W., the decision is easy. She would use the private bus to get to her waitressing job at Yonge and Queen Sts. "The streetcar is too busy and the seats are uncomfortable."

The latest proposal comes when the TTC appears to be a victim of its own success. For 2006, ridership is expected to top 437 million — well on its way back to its 1988 peak of 463 million. But fuel costs are also on the rise, its fleet is aging and funding is limited. There is also pressure to service growing neighbourhoods like the Humber Bay area. And this week's provincial budget will have little immediate impact.

The TTC's monopoly doesn't mean all alternative forms of transit are banned.

The city prohibits corporations from charging a direct fee, or fare, for transportation, but makes a wide range of exceptions, including for tour buses, charters that charge a group fee and free shuttle services. Furniture giant Ikea, for example, runs a free shuttle to its store on The Queensway in Etobicoke from the Kipling subway station.

And many condos, including several in the Humber Bay area, offer residents shuttle-bus services as part of their amenity fees, a practice that is allowed. The oldest condo in the area, the Palace Pier, has offered shuttle services to Union Station since 1979.

Promotional material on the Humber Bay Express website describes the bus as a solution to "the rising cost of the TTC; the slow, crowded Queen St. streetcar; difficult access to the subway; expensive taxi fares (an average ride downtown is $25); the cost of gas; limited and expensive downtown parking; environmental concerns — The ultimate carpool."

The express is scheduled to run along the same stretch of Lake Shore Blvd. W. where the TTC has a stop for its busy Queen St. streetcar line. The bus would pick up residents from six waterfront condos, making four weekday morning runs to Union Station beginning at 6:45 a.m., with the last evening bus returning at 6:55 p.m.

The service's proposed launch date, April 1, coincides with a TTC fare increase. The company plans promotional runs Thursday and Friday for $2 a ride.

Attempts to reach Humber Bay Express president Daniel Tatomyr were unsuccessful this week and calls to the company's sales office, set to open today at 2067 Lake Shore Blvd. W., weren't answered. As of yesterday, a letter from Tatomyr to potential clients had been removed from the company's website along with other references to him.

But there is support for the service in the neighbourhood. "Is it going to stop in front of my restaurant?" said Joseph Muscatello, proprietor of Baroli Caffe, at 2083 Lake Shore Blvd. W.

Muscatello drives to work from his home north of the city in Caledon every day. Still, he said, with such a high concentration of first-time homeowners in the area, the Humber Bay Express might appeal to people looking to save on parking and car payments. "I think it's a great idea."

Others say TTC service suits them fine. Scott Knox lives in the Waterford condominium and drives to his job at a Mississauga golf course every day. His live-in girlfriend, meanwhile, takes the streetcar to work downtown at the Hospital for Sick Children. "She has no problem with it," Knox said.

In the meantime, Jim Lord of the condo association is hoping to meet with the TTC again to find another solution to selling 70 passes.

"It's hard to get someone to buy a pass for a bus that's not going."

2.4 Transport Canada reveals urban traffic congestion study

Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, last week announced the findings of a study entitled The Cost of Urban Congestion in Canada. The study examined the cost of urban traffic congestion for Canada's nine largest urban areas: Quebec City, Montreal, Ottawa-Gatineau, Toronto, Hamilton, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver. The study reviewed data and situations where congestion occurs daily because demand exceeds the capacity to move people and goods. It also served to examine costs due to travel delay, additional fuel consumed, and additional greenhouse gases produced. The study found that recurrent congestion in urban areas costs between $2.3-billion and $3.7-billion per year (in 2002 dollar values). More than 90% of this cost is associated with the time lost in traffic to drivers and passengers; 7% occurs because of fuel consumed; and 3% is from increased greenhouse gas emissions. For more information, visit the Transport Canada web site or contact Marco D'Angelo at (613) 842-3616.


3 International

3.1 Toledo, OH buses go hybrid!

WTOL News, March 8, 2006

TOLEDO -- TARTA buses are about to take a ride down the hybrid lane. The company's bio-fleet will be showcased at 3:30pm Friday, when the public transit company opens its biodiesel fueling facility. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur will join TARTA General Manager James K. Gee at the event.

TARTA is taking part in a study that's looking at the impact of using a mixture of biodiesel fuels and petroleum-based diesel fuel. The study is funded, in part, by a $1.5 million federal grant made possible through the efforts of Marcy Kaptur. TARTA says the congresswoman is committed to moving America toward energy independence by replacing imported petroleum with renewable energy such as biofuels.

The TARTA study will be conducted by the Intermodal Transportation Institute at the University of Toledo, using two different fuels: ultra-low-sulfur diesel fuel (ULSD), and a mixture of 80% ULSD fuel and 20% methyl ester biofuel which is known as B20.

B20 is derived from soybean oil and yellow grease that consists primarily of recycled cooking oil.

Forty-eight TARTA buses and a number of diesel-powered vehicles in the city's Division of Streets, Bridges & Harbor will take part in the vehicle testing. The study will examine the differences in emissions, engine performance, and operating costs.
An additional TARTA vehicle involved in the study is a mini-bus called BH-1, for bio-hydrogen. The study will look at the benefits of injecting a small amount of hydrogen in the air intake of the vehicle using B20 fuel.

In addition to Marcy Kaptur and James Gee, members of the University of Toledo's Intermodal Transportation Institute and members of the city's Department of Public Service and Division of Streets, Bridges & Harbor will attend Friday's event.

TARTA asked to be included in the study, making them only the second Ohio city to participate. Columbus is the other Ohio city that's participating.

Other partners involved in the study are H2 Engine Systems and Shrader Tire and Oil.

Soon you'll be able to spot the TARTA buses running on biofuel because they'll be marked for easy identification.


3.2 Singapore's new fully automatic Metro line

I was perusing through some international transit system web pages and I came across this slightly postured, pro-business press brochure for the new automatic metro line which opened in Singapore in June 2005. Here's the link:

http://www.transport.alstom.com/_eLibrary/brochure/upload_73748.pdf


3.3 EU committee outlines importance of public transit to climate change

EU Committee position:
Public transport must play a key role in the battle against climate change

The European Union Committee 1 of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP) welcomes the European Climate Change Programme and the Green Paper on Energy Efficiency but calls for more focus on the transport sector to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions (GHG).

Knowing that transport is responsible for 31% of energy consumption and 21% of EU greenhouse gas emissions, the EU Committee reminds the Commission that the transport sector should be a prime target in the fight against climate change. Particular focus should be put on urban mobility as 40% of all transport related GHG emissions in the EU are produced in cities.

In an official position paper, UITP clearly demonstrates the advantages of public transport in energy savings. Guido del Mese, President of the EU Committee, summarises the 'green benefits' of the sector as follows: "Public transport consumes three times less primary energy than private cars. Differences in energy savings between cities with a high modal share of public transport and cities relying mainly on the private car represent around 400 to 500 kg of fuel per inhabitant annually2 . In the current energy context, this should be taken into account in any strategies and
plans.”

This is the reason why the UITP-EU Committee strongly recommends addressing specifically the issue of urban mobility in the European climate change and energy efficiency policies, by:
- Developing a strategy for modal shift towards transport modes producing less GHG emissions and consuming less energy;
- Investing in public transport and promoting high quality public transport systems;
- Encouraging road charging schemes and environmental tax measures to rebalance costs between private car and public transport use, and better integrate external costs;
- Creating Sustainable Urban Transport Plans such as mentioned in the "Thematic Strategy for the Urban Environment"3 , including mandatory targets for a shift towards environmentally friendly modes of transport. This should become mandatory for cities with more than 100,000 inhabitants;
- Carrying out benchmarks on the regional and local entity level to make comparisons and measure improvements in reducing GHG emissions;
Increasing public awareness on the consequences of daily travel behaviour and the choice of transport modes on climate change;
Using investments from European Cohesion funds, infrastructure funds, European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in priority for transport projects focussing on high energy efficiency and low GHG emissions.
UITP believes that these actions, taken at a European level, would strongly help the European Union to address the urgent issues of climate change and global warming.

If you want to know more about the UITP EU Committee position, read the full paper: http://www.uitp.com/eupolicy/publications.cfm

1 The UITP EU Committee brings together the urban, suburban and regional public transport undertakings in the European Union
2UITP Study : Mobility in Cities Database , Brussels , 2005.
3COM(2004)60 and COM(2005)718