Position Statement on Transport Canada Needs Assessment – Pickering Lands, 2010

By Transport Action Ontario | Aviation

The proposed Pickering Airport, east of Toronto,  has been an on-again-off-again issue for over 40 years.  Transport Action Ontario has been active on this file for many years.  Our most recent public communication was a letter to the federal Minister of Transportation in January, 2012.  This is posted elsewhere on this website.

In  2011, Transport Canada released a new report entitled “Needs Assessment Study – Pickering Lands, 2010” which favoured the construction of the airport.  Then in June, 2013, the federal Minister of Finance re-announced the airport plan with a different configuration of land.

In response, Transport Action has prepared an updated position paper,  identifying six key reasons why we oppose the Pickering airport plan.    The position paper can be viewed here: TAO-Pickering Airport Needs Assessment 2014-02

Algoma Central Railway – Major Advocacy Program to Stop Termination of Passenger Service

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus , Northern Ontario

On January 27, 2014, CN announced the termination of passenger service on this railroad from Sault Saint Marie to Hearst, as the Federal government had ended the subsidy that pays for the passenger service.  As a result CN announced that service would end on March 31, 2014 (subsequently extended to April 29, 2014).

A major advocacy program is underway,  led by local municipal governments and our affiliate organization, the Coalition for Algoma Passenger Trains (CAPT).  For a complete update on the CAPT activities, click the link here.

The advocacy includes conducting three Town Hall meetings – in Sault Ste. Marie, Wawa and Hearst to increase citizen awareness and understanding.  Transport Action’s past president, Harry Gow, will be the guest speaker.  A copy of the Transport Action presentation can be viewed here:  NDR Slides SSM Wawa-Feb 2014

US Rail Passenger Association Urges Canada to Maintain Threatened Services

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus , Northern Ontario

The National Association of Rail Passengers (NARP) is a US non-government organization advocating for improved passenger rail and rail transit.   They have sent a letter to Canada’s ambassador to the US, Honourable Gary Doer, expressing concern with the announcement that Sault Ste. Marie – Hearst rail service (Algoma Central) will end March 31 and a CBC report this week that Montreal-Halifax VIA Rail Canada service could end in as early as June.

The NARP letter can be viewed here.

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