All Posts by Transport Action Ontario

All-Party Rural and Northern Ontario Transportation Committee

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus , Northern Ontario , Press Releases and Open Letters

On November 28, 2013, Bill Walker, MPP Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound, presented a resolution at Queen’s Park to immediately strike a Rural and Northern Transportation  Committee to study transportation needs in these regions.    Transport Action Ontario was very pleased to see that all parties in the Legislature supported this resolution.

In January, 2014, Transport Action Ontario wrote to Mr. Walker offering congratulations, describing our organization, and providing some preliminary comments on one of our projects  (North Main Line).  We asked to be given the opportunity to speak to this committee.

Our letter can be viewed here:  TAO-letter-Bill Walker

GO Stouffville Corridor Rail Service Expansion

By Transport Action Ontario | Urban Transit

GO Transit is in the midst of an Environmental Assessment to expand and improve rail service on this corridor.  The project will involve double tracking and station improvements  from Scarborough Junction to Unionville Station.

Transport Action Ontario is very supportive of this project.  In general, improvements to GO Rail offer badly-needed, region-wide rapid transit that is cost-effective and rapidly implementable and has little interference to road capacity.  However, we felt that the scope of this EA appears to be narrow.  We felt that a number of additional issues needed analysis, including electrification, new stations, parking considerations and road-rail separations.

Our submission to GO Transit can be viewed here:  TAO-GOStouffvillePIC#2-rev2

Fixing Canada’s Ailing Rail System: Op-Ed Article

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus

Greg Gormick is a long-time Toronto transportation writer and advisor, who has been a colleague and often a consultant to Transport Action.  He has written a thought provoking  op-ed article entitled “Fixing Canada’s Ailing Rail System”.   The article was originally published in the Toronto Star on January 26, 2014, and was subsequently picked up by other major newspapers across Canada.

The article discusses four major concerns with Canada’s once proud and efficient rail system: safety breaches, line abandonment, angry shippers and the deterioration of VIA Rail.   It points to a solution involving more public investment and increased oversight, as was done in the USA.  It notes that the first step is a long-overdue public debate leading to a national rail policy.  Finally, it urges federal Transport Minister Lisa Raitt to let the debate – and the rail recovery – begin.

The full article can be read here:  TorontoStar Railway Crisis 2014-01-26

Revitalizing New Brunswick’s Rail Sector

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus , Major Reports

Transport Action Atlantic has released its long-awaited report entitled “Revitalizing New Brunswick’s Rail Sector”, by Greg Gormick.  The report was funded by 5 municipalities in New Brunswick and one business agency.

The report covers three items

• Steps to take with regards to CN’s proposed abandonment of the Moncton-Belledune section of its Newcastle Subdivision
• Steps to undo the damage done by VIA’s halving of the frequency of the Ocean
• Steps to support the expected revival of Industrial Rail Services

The executive summary can be viewed here.

The full report can be viewed here.

The report conclusions and recommendations can be viewed here.

Toronto Billy Bishop Airport Expansion – Presentation by Dr. Avrum Regenstreif

By Transport Action Ontario | Aviation , Latest News , Major Reports

Transport Action Ontario (TAO) board member Dr. Avrum Regenstreif has extensive experience over a period of 30 years in analysis and planning of airport projects.

He prepared a paper for TAO to be presented to the City of Toronto in early 2014.  It discusses numerous issues with the proposed expansion at Billy Bishop Airport (BBTCA), experience in other cities with intercontinental jet airports on urban waterfronts, and rail alternatives to an expansion at BBTCA.

His paper can be viewed at this link:  BBTCA Final Presentation 2013-12-23