PTC E-News 12

PEI Public Transit Coalition E-News 12

1 Local

1.1 CUTA Annual Conference in Saskatoon will have Island representative
1.2 Getting the word out: Success and difficulty in the push for Island-wide transit
1.3 The Richmond Street View


2 National

2.1 Bombardier Gets Massive Metro Montreal Contract
2.2 Victory for Transit Union in Winnipeg Driver Assault Case
2.3 Ethanol Examined by Ottawa Within Alternative To Kyoto Plan

3 International

3.1 The Answer to the Energy Crisis? Batteries!
3.2 Florida Cities Get Hybrid Buses- At A Cost
3.3 Altair to Co-operate in Creation of Hi-tech Prototype Buses
3.4 Berlin's New Rail Hub Just in Time for World Cup 2006


1 Local

1.1 CUTA Annual Conference in Saskatoon will have Island representative

With the Canadian Urban Transit Association holding its Annual Conference in Saskatoon this weekend, even with an Island-wide public transit system in place on Prince Edward Island, the trip from Borden to Saskatchewan would be a lengthy one. However, the Public Transit Coalition will be sending a representative, Outreach Officer Aaron Hawkins (he does not carry a sidearm), to the meeting with the aim of increasing the Coalition's insight into all things transit-related and hopefully bring home a better understanding of the intricacies of and obstacles to public transit on our Island. Be on the lookout for Aaron's photojournalistic report due upon his safe return to Charlottetown!

1.2 Getting the word out: Success and Difficulty in the Push for Island-wide Transit

It has been a month of wonderful highs and brain-scratching lows for the PEI Public Transit Coalition. The end of April saw a hugely successful Earth Day Loonie Day on the Charlottetown Transit capped off by our Annual General Meeting (see the minutes for the meeting posted here on our blog) and the PTC's attendance at the Federation of PEI Municipalities annual meeting in Souris on May 1! At the latter meeting, David and Aaron arranged a meeting with Transportation Minister Gail Shea to discuss our transit goals and to get moving on Island-wide transit. Yet the euphoria accompanying these events was short-lived with the "a bus here, a bus there" funding announcement from Community and Cultural Affairs Minister Elmer MacFadyen and the Minister's declaration that, so far, there were no takers on the Province-wide transit front. Despite the public transit "ignorance" of the Provincial Government, the Coalition is moving forward with our open letter to Minister Shea in which we outline the need for a Feasibility Study, to be conducted along the lines of the ENTRA study, but in this case on a Provincial scale. David and Aaron also intend to set up a meeting with Industry Minister Michael Currie as well as to consult with MLA Olive Crane, a noted proponent of Rural municipal enhancement, to keep the heat on the Province to initiate, in conjunction with Island municipalities as well as a PTC-headed oversight committee, the movement toward a provincial transit feasibility study! To borrow from an old race-car catechism, We've Got The Pedal to the Metal!!

1.3 The Richmond Street View

Another month, another hurdle for the PEI Public Transit Coalition. It seems that the closer we get to making some real headway with the Provincial Government on the Island, the devilishly difficult political scene on Prince Edward Island rears its ugly mug yet again to stomp out any momentum the Provincewide transit movement might have had! All is not lost, however. Were we to think this way, no respectable social or environmental cause would ever see the light of day! Advocacy is key to building the bridges between those who are passionate about an emerging issue and those who have the power to put the theory of an issue into practice. My feeling is much akin to one of the great statements from one of the world's greatest statesmen: "Never has so much been owed by so many to so few." Churchill's assessment of the role of his fighter pilots during the Battle of Britain may not correlate directly with the emergence of public transit on this Island, but I see the job done by those of you on the ground, those of you who have toiled in public transit circles for decades, pressing for relief from an utter paucity of public infrastructure, as having in great measure made our present-day situation as ostensibly advanced as it is with respect to public transportation. Without the voices of those who realized how vitally important a bus system would be and has been to both Charlottetown and Prince Edward Island, the Draconian sluggishness of our Provincial politicians to embrace public transit would have been magnified one hundred-fold. As we continue to fight on the beaches and fight on our shores for an Island-wide system, we can take heart knowing that at some point, the struggle of so few to enhance the lives of so many will force action out of those who for so long have ignored the compounding costs of not having the transit service we all strive for.
This, Mesdames and Messieurs, has been the View from Richmond Street.


2 National

2.1 Bombardier Gets Massive Metro Montreal Contract

Bombardier to Get $1B Montreal Metro Contract

Updated: May 11th, 2006 10:57 AM PDT
Home > Top Transit News
The Canadian Press

MONTREAL (CP) -- The Quebec government will award a $1.2 billion (US$1.09 billion) contract to supply new subway cars for the Montreal metro to Bombardier without public bidding, Montreal La Presse reported Wednesday.
Several sources said that Economic Development Minister Raymond Bachand would take the decision to the cabinet Wednesday, the newspaper said in a story from Quebec City.
The Montreal transit authority, backed by the provincial government, is looking to replace the aging fleet put into service in the late 1960s.
Transportation giants Bombardier and Alstom have been vying for the contract to replace 336 metro cars. Bombardier built the original rail cars.
Bombardier Transportation was recently selected by the Ontario government to supply more than 200 new train cars for the Toronto subway, without an open bid. The cars will be built at Thunder Bay, Ont.
But French-owned Alstom Canada wanted the Quebec government to hold a public bidding process.
The French industrial giant said it could build the cars at its plants in Sorel-Tracy, Que., where Alstom makes rail wheel sets, and Calgary, where the company maintains locomotives for Canadian Pacific Railway.
Bombardier Transportation is based in Berlin, Germany, and most of its plants and markets are in Europe, but the cars for the Montreal metro will be built in La Pocatiere, Que.

2.2 Victory for Transit Union in Winnipeg Driver Assault Case

Transit union claims victory after a Winnipeg man receives 26 months in jail for an assault on an ATU Local 1505 driver.


TORONTO, ONTARIO--(CCNMatthews - May 17, 2006) - After years of seeing people who assault transit workers walk away with little or no punishment a court decision in Winnipeg yesterday has given transit and inter-city bus workers reason to believe that change is on the horizon. Rick Ganton, 46, pleaded guilty to one count each of assault and mischief for a drunken attack on March 16th, 2006, against Winnipeg bus driver Murray Tarvis, a member of ATU Local 1505. Mr. Ganton was sentenced to 26 months in jail for the assault.
"For us it was a victory," said Ken Foster, Director of the Amalgamated Transit Union's Canadian Council. "The judge fully understood what the implications are. Hopefully, it will be a deterrent to others." The ATU's Canadian Council procured the assistance of criminal lawyer, Josh Weinstein, of the Myers Weinberg firm in Winnipeg, to consult on the case.
Ganton was drunk and the lone passenger on the bus when he realized he had missed his stop and started swearing and yelling at Tarvis, said community prosecutor Susan Helenchilde. Ganton became "increasingly agitated" as the bus returned downtown and Tarvis called twice to security for assistance, Helenchilde said. Tarvis had just pulled up at City Hall when Ganton, enraged, charged at Tarvis, pulled him out of his seat and punched him in the face, breaking his glasses. When Tarvis was attacked, he didn't have a chance to take the bus out of gear and activate its emergency brake, endangering the lives of 10 to 15 passengers who had since boarded the bus, Helenchilde said.
Murray Tarvis' determination to see this case through to its resolution combined with the ATU Canadian Council's early and persistent involvement to ensure that it resulted in this unprecedented sentence. When handing down the sentence on the 16th of May, 2006, Judge Glenn Joyal said bus drivers are in a position of vulnerability and deserving of protection. "Bus drivers are at the mercy of whoever gets on the bus ... The only safeguard is the belief the court will respond purposefully and severely."
While this conviction and sentence is a victory in the ATU's campaign against assaults the recent, and vicious, assaults in Vancouver and Edmonton reveal that the battle is far from over. An ATU survey found that 60% of Winnipeg bus drivers reported being physically assaulted on the job. In 2006 alone, there have already been 12 reports of assaults on Winnipeg bus drivers.
Bus drivers have a right to a safe work environment. While some transit properties have taken this issue seriously and taken measures to improve security, share relevant data and work with the ATU, others have exhibited indifference. They will not cooperate with the union in either revealing their statistics on assaults or in taking substantive measures to afford drivers more protection. This has prompted the ATU to conduct their own surveys and research, stage a national conference on violence, create their own assault reporting form, and lobby the federal government for amendments to the criminal code to better protect public transit and inter-city bus workers.
"Irrespective of whether every transit system is on board with the assault issue, we will continue to move forward with those that are and take action to ensure that our members have a safe work place and that when they're victimized through violence the perpetrators will be charged and adequately sentenced" said Foster.

2.3 Ethanol Examined by Ottawa Within Alternative To Kyoto Plan

Ottawa seeks help finding Kyoto alternative

Ethanol initiative targets emissions

BRIAN LAGHI
From Tuesday's Globe and Mail
Ottawa — The Conservatives will move today to blunt criticism that they have forsaken the Kyoto accord by asking provinces to help develop a plan to boost ethanol production as part of a made-in-Canada plan to reduce greenhouse gas.
Federal cabinet ministers will meet with provincial counterparts in Regina to kick-start an initiative to keep a Tory pledge that would raise to 5 per cent the amount of ethanol used in gasoline. Experts say ethanol fuel, most of which is derived from corn and agricultural crops, would contribute to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
The meeting comes as the Conservative government continued to come under fire from international environmental groups yesterday and the European Community urged Canada to respect goals the Liberals previously agreed to under the Kyoto accord.
Canada's commitment to Kyoto is wavering as a leaked internal report says Conservatives do not support deeper emission-reduction targets for the agreement in the future.
The government eventually hopes to develop an incentive program to increase production of ethanol, but first needs to test support across the country. Provincial programs vary widely, with some jurisdictions well ahead of others in efforts and targets to produce ethanol.
The federal government would like to harmonize the provincial regimes as much as possible before moving ahead with its program.
Environment Minister Rona Ambrose, who was roundly criticized this week for the government's position on Kyoto, will lead a half-day of discussions in Regina that will include Agriculture Minister Chuck Strahl and Minister of Natural Resources Gary Lunn.
Currently, only about 1 per cent of gasoline contains ethanol. The Tories want to reach 5 per cent by 2010.
A spokesman for the industry said yesterday that the best answer to push the industry forward might be through tax incentives that encourage industry to boost production.
"The programs that we like and that most industries like are tax measures similar to what the petroleum industry is getting on the oil sands," said Kory Teneycke, executive director of the Canadian Renewable Fuels Association. "Something along those lines, we think, would be a good way of proceeding."
Mr. Teneycke said it is also crucial for the government to get approval from the various jurisdictions if the plan is to go ahead.
"There's been lots of activity at an officials' level, but until you get that buy-in and high-level nod of approval, it's hard to proceed past a certain point."
When and if the government gets provincial support, the government will face a number of thorny questions in delivering on the promise.
For example, the United States already heavily subsidizes its corn industry, giving ethanol plants a ready-made and cheaper source for its product.
Federal officials are concerned that encouraging ethanol production in Canada may end up benefiting U.S. producers and need to find a way to ensure Canadian farmers benefit from the idea.
There are critics who suggest the amount of fossil fuel used to plant, cultivate and harvest the crops used to produce ethanol outweighs the benefits.
Some have also criticized the fact that farmers end up growing crops for fuel rather than for food.
Meanwhile yesterday, the European Union's environment commissioner said Canada should honour its Kyoto pledges.
"What I expect is that the Canadians will honour their commitments," Stavros Dimas told reporters in Brussels.
"The Canadian government of [Prime Minister] Stephen Harper is trying to sabotage 15 years of international efforts to address climate change," the Climate Action Network added in a statement.
Canada is leading negotiations at the May 15-26 UN climate talks in Bonn, and has said it cannot meet a legally binding target to cut emissions of heat-trapping gases by 2012 and that it will only take part in an extension if all nations agree.

3 International

3.1 The Answer to the Energy Crisis? Batteries!

THE ANSWER TO OUR ENERGY PROBLEMS: A BIG BOX OF BATTERIES.
Baseload power plants operate 24/7. Electricity is generated, fuel is consumed and pollution emitted for electricity that's made but not consumed when people are snug in their beds and business is at a standstill. Utility companies offer lower overnight rates to encourage people and industry to adjust their schedules to buy some of this power. It's better to sell it at discounted rate than not sell it at all.
It could be that unused power from baseload powerplants could go a long way toward solving the energy shortage that's slowly arriving. Stored overnight energy, too, can reduce demand on peakload powerplants in the daytime, particularly saving natural gas that is being sucked up by peak-period power plants at an alarming rate.
The New York Power Authority has awarded ABB a $3.2 million contract to build a 1.2-megawatt battery energy storage system (BESS) for New York's Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA)
Using 6400 sodium sulfur battery cells (320 in each of 20 modules) supplied by Japan-based NGK, the BESS will be built at the Long Island Bus Depot in Garden City, New York. The facility services 220 natural gas fueled buses.
The BESS will be charged at night when rates are low and power stored will be used in daytime, working hours. The low-cost, saved power will save MTA so much money that it will allow MTA's maintenance crew to work in daylight hours instead of at night.
The BESS in New York won't be the largest in the world. That honor goes to a football field-sized BESS built in Alaska in 2003.
Wouldn't it make more sense to build batteries the size of a Walmart - that use available but unused power - than to build more power plants?
The MTA BESS will also serve as backup power and deliver reliability to the local power grid.
The NY BESS project is being funded by research organizations including the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and the New York Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).
Visit ABB at http://www.abb.com/ , NGK at http://www.ngk.co.jp/

3.2 Florida Cities Get Hybrid Buses- At A Cost

FORT LAUDERDALE-HOLLYWOOD INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
Five new shuttle buses pricey -- but burn clean
Fort Lauderdale- Hollywood International Airport has purchased five new hybrid buses.
BY DIANA MOSKOVITZ
dmoskovitz@MiamiHerald.com
Broward airport officials hope five new hybrid shuttle buses will help make the county's air a little cleaner.
But the environmentally friendly buses come with a cost: close to twice the price of a traditional bus.
The buses were added to Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport's fleet in March. The airport also runs more than 50 buses and three trams using biodiesel fuel -- a mixture of traditional diesel with fuel taken from products like corn and soybeans.
Airport officials said the airport is the first in the state to run its entire fleet on biodiesel.
Like hybrid cars, hybrid buses are more expensive than their traditional counterparts -- about $510,000 each compared with $283,000 for a regular bus.
And biodiesel fuel prices tend to be higher than ordinary diesel.
But the additions are worthwhile because of their environmental benefits, said Randy Bond, general manager for ShuttlePort, the company that operates the fleet.
The company runs fleets in airports across the nation, but Fort Lauderdale is the only one using biodiesel. Other airports, like Phoenix and San Jose, use compressed natural gas, but Fort Lauderdale doesn't have the infrastructure necessary to support that, he said.
''It's because of the clean air initiatives of the county, and the airport is trying to make it a cleaner environment,'' Bond said.
Hybrids use less fuel and have lower emissions, meaning no thick black clouds of exhaust puffing out of these buses.
Biofuel also has been touted for its lower emissions, although some scientists disagree about the fuel's overall savings.
Hybrid shuttles are similar to hybrid cars. They run on a combination of battery power and burning fuel. The batteries are recharged while the buses run on fuel.
A new battery is needed every six years.
''You don't have to plug it into a wall socket,'' Bond said.
They are more fuel efficient. The traditional bus ranges between 2.7 and 4.2 miles per gallon at the airport. The hybrid gets between 3.6 and 5.1 miles per gallon.

3.3 Altair to Co-operate in Creation of Hi-tech Prototype Buses

TROY, Mich. -- Altair Engineering and Automation Alley's Technology Center -- in conjunction with the Michigan Economic Development Corp. -- have secured a $2.2 million Federal Transportation Authority (FTA) grant to design and build of two advanced technology prototype buses.
The FTA had previously provided a $550,000 grant for the Altair BUSolutions project to revitalize public transportation through more economical and reliable fleet service. The test project will also provide fresh opportunities for the region's growing research and product development sector.
The Altair BUSolutions initiative will design and build two demonstration buses that are easily maintainable and efficient to operate in the existing transportation infrastructure, at greatly reduced cost. Altair worked closely with regional transportation authorities -- the Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) and the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT) -- to meet regulatory requirements and address the needs of the bus drivers and riders. The project is also included in the Southeast Michigan Council of Governments (SEMCOG) Regional Transportation Improvement Plan.
The $2.2 million federal funding came from two sources. The Department of Transportation Research and University Research Centers account provided $1.5 million; the additional $700,000 million was provided from the Department of Transportation's FTA Bus Grants account.
"Not only does this $2.2 million grant validate the government's initial investment in our preliminary work," said James R. Scapa, president and CEO of Altair, "it also is a testament to the exciting synergy we've created when regional government and business leadership work together. This is a great opportunity to showcase the terrific talent we have in this area, as well as to attract new technology resources to Southeast Michigan."
"Automation Alley is delighted to collaborate with Altair Engineering on this venture," said Tom Anderson, director of the Automation Alley Technology Center. "This partnership is a great example of how the Southeast Michigan region is taking a national leadership role on emerging technology issues."
"An efficient public bus system is a key component to meeting our region's transportation needs," said U.S. Representative Joe Knollenberg (R-MI), a key sponsor for the program. "For fleets to meet their full potential, however, conventional buses must be brought into the 21st century. The bus prototypes to be produced by Automation Alley Technology Center and Altair Engineering have great promise for addressing the challenges public transportation systems face."
"Automation Alley is very grateful for the support we have received from U.S. Congressman Knollenberg, Senator Carl Levin (D-MI), Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) and Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-MI)," said Ken Rogers, executive director of Automation Alley. "Michigan is fortunate to have these strong advocates for Michigan's advanced manufacturing sector in Congress."
"Integrating the right technologies and methods tightly into the design process can have dramatic results," said Michael Heskitt, vice president of Altair Global Engineering. "BUSolutions uses advanced optimization techniques in a design process that is fundamentally different than traditional approaches, while using conventional construction methods, materials and components. The result is a transit bus design that is 30 percent lighter and 40 percent less expensive to own, at a 15 percent lower manufacturing cost. Reduced weight means lower fuel consumption; less wear on city streets and regional roads; reduced brake and tire wear; and reduced noise and pollution."
Once the feasibility of the concept has been completely demonstrated and the performance of the prototype buses has been thoroughly tested, analyzed and evaluated, Altair Engineering plans to commercialize the BUSolutions technology and make it available for public use.

3.4 Berlin's New Rail Hub Just in Time for World Cup 2006

Berlin's New Railway Hub
Updated: May 12th, 2006 10:30 AM PDT
Home > Top Transit News
Stefan Nicola
UPI

For the past 15 years, Berlin has been planning and building the largest, safest and most modern train station in Europe.
Today a small army of orange-jacketed construction workers stream back and forth between track rails; hammering and screeching fills the air; and construction dust still covers the vaulted 351-yard long glass ceiling, through which, on opening day, light should flood unhindered into the brand-new Berlin Hauptbahnhof.
Former Chancellor Helmut Kohl launched the construction project in October 1995, and his longtime protege, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, will officially open the station on May 26.
Located in the government district, the Hauptbahnhof -- formerly the Lehrter Bahnhof -- is the last of the expensive unification projects to be completed; other projects included the reconstruction of the Potsdamer Platz and the Reichstag parliament building.
Planning for the station began in 1991, soon after Germany's reunification, in a bid to facilitate and centralize travel in the once divided city. West-bound passengers currently use the Zoo station; east-bounders mostly exit at the Ostbahnhof. The new main central station will put the two facilities virtually out of business.
Taking up 1.9 million square feet, Hauptbahnhof will be Europe's largest train hub, serving 300,000 passengers with almost 1,100 long-distance, regional and local trains passing through daily, officials say.
Hamburg-based architects Gerkan, Marg and Partner have incorporated stones from Austria and China, some 9,000 glass plates and six 30-person panorama elevators in the station's design.
The five-level station cost Germany, the state of Berlin and German railway giant Deutsche Bahn some $890 million. But company spokeswoman Gabriele Schott said costs for the Bahn's new transport concept, which also included modernizing local train systems and opening no fewer than eight additional stations this month in Berlin and nearby Brandenburg, total a staggering $12.7 billion.
"This is a small revolution for the Bahn," Schott said, leading a tour of the station.
Standing in front of the station's main entrance, at the Invalidenstrasse, she said, with a sweep of her arm: "After German reunification, there was nothing here. The Hauptbahnhof has the chance to create a new center in downtown Berlin."
The plaza in front of the main entrance in the north will be named Europe Square, while the vast area in front of the southern entrance, with a clear view of Merkel's chancellery, will be called Washington Square, she said.
While the station will not link Europe with the United States, it will ease travel between Berlin and the rest of Germany, Schott said. Some 900 jobs (300 of them at Deutsche Bahn) have been created in the process.
All 80 shops inside the station will be open to customers on May 26, Schott added, despite rumors that the Hauptbahnhof would not be finished in time for the grand opening.
While security will be a focal point at the opening and during Merkel's visit, thorough measures will be a constant at Hauptbahnhof. Extensive precautions have been taken to combat such modern threats as terrorism, and to ensure passenger and mechanical security.
The station's lowest level lies 22 yards below the ground; before construction could begin, experts scanned the soil for World War II bombs.
"We found a massive amount of duds," Schott said.
Inside the station, man-high security walls have been built between tracks, so that in the unlikely event of a derailment, passengers on other tracks will not be endangered. A third rail has been built adjacent to each track as an emergency fall-back rail.
Officials had to update the station's security concept after the 1998 Eschede train accident, in which an ICE highspeed train derailed in Lower Saxonay, killing 101 people. The incident led to a massive overhaul of the German railway network.
With recent terror attacks targeting mostly mass transit systems, officials are eager to make the Berlin Hauptbahnhof as safe as possible.
Dozens of surveillance cameras will penetrate every corner of the station; the Bahn's security personnel will be on hand and Germany's federal police, the Bundespolizei, will have its own ward in the station.
"Like any main transportation hub, security is a big factor," said Michael Baufeld, spokesman for security and customer service at the station.
The new Hauptbahnhof will face its first big test in June, when Germany hosts the FIFA Soccer World Cup. Several games will be played in Berlin and nearby Leipzig, and officials expect a multitude of travelers during that time. Baufeld said there is a special service and security program for the World Cup.
"We want to adhere to the World Cup's motto: 'A time to make friends,' so we want our guests to feel comfortable," Baufeld said. "But at the same time we will watch very closely what goes on."