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Opinion/Articles
Transportation - Public TransitTGV in CANADA July 2008 Progress is the outcome of leadership. Leadership, that is bold and courageous, to be able to withstand opposition and resistance by political adversaries or by parochial interests that invariably lead governments back to the safety of status quo. The public transportation system is one of the endlessly discussed issues that has not gone far enough to bring Canada into the 21st century, compared to countries where high speed rail infrastructure is well developed and reap the many environmental, social and economic benefits. Neither the Federal nor the Provincial governments have earnestly made a commitment to initiate the implementation of rail infrastructure in the footsteps of Eurostar and the TGV. Our antiquated rail system no longer fulfills the needs of today’s transportation demands. Only a cooperation between the Federal and Provincial governments can bring to fruition a viable high speed rail system to accommodate the ever increasing population in our cities. Air Pollution Coalition Honourable Stephane Dion 19 May 2008 Dear Mr. Dion: We wish to congratulate you on your courageous and environmentally beneficial policy on carbon tax in such trying and challenging times. However, in order to successfully avert potential political repercussions, as so often politics trumps policy, consider a powerful impetus to your carbon tax policy. Transfer revenues and invest in public/private partnership to implement a National High Speed Rail infrastructure. The high population density in strategic transport corridors, and a percentage of the GDP in combination with the PPP, will support the integrated rail infrastructure that our cities desperately need. In the South West region of Ontario for example, the Windsor-Quebec City corridor, has long been considered a most appropriate geographic area for high speed rail based on population density and the increased transport of goods, like interprovincial trade. The daily vehicle-km of automobile travel is estimated to grow by 64% between 2000 and 2031. For the transport of goods by truck during the peak hours the percentage has increased by 8% to 10% jeopardizing both economic and social costs of such congestion. Does the GDP that records sales, have a ledger for losses of natural assets? No. Yet, both the Federal and Provincial governments have invested in and subsidized the most unsustainable mode of transportation to prop up a floundering and uncompetitive automobile industry, totally disregarding the long-term environmental and social advantages of rail transportation. Both senior levels of government have consistently underperformed in environmental issues as political timidity and conflicting interests have trumped sustainability and public health which has been affected by high levels of pollution. The public will be energized and stimulated by bold and principled leadership. Please, do not let us down. Sincerely, |