Edmonton Journal - Cities missing the opportunity to encourage Mass-Transit Usage

While this article comes from our friends up North, I feel that this situation is occurring across the United States as we speak. I live a mere 14 Miles from downtown and my options for mass-transit are appallingly limited - despite articles from the Dispatch (next one I find, I will post) indicating that people want more COTA routes and other Mass-Transit options, especially in the first and second ring suburbs.


The following article was retrieved 03 September 2008 @ 0255 from:
http://www.canada.com/edmontonjournal/story.html?id=0f53a3a5-eaef-4121-a7dd-3d3b8ca5b042


Transit demand soars but cities missing the bus

Transit demand soars but cities missing the bus
More Canadians want to leave cars at home due to high cost of gasoline
Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen; Canwest News Service
Published: yesterday 7:51 am

OTTAWA - Gasoline prices are driving Canadians to public transit, but the nation's mayors and transit authorities warn that their overloaded buses and trains can't meet this surging demand.

Without busloads of federal cash to expand public transit, Canada will lose this "once-in-a-generation" chance to get its citizens out of inefficient cars and into public transportation, say the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) and Canadian Urban Transit Association.

The two groups handed out results on Monday of a survey showing 20 per cent of city-dwelling Canadians who now drive a car claim they want to switch to the bus, subway, trolley or LRT.
Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton pledged $37.1 Million for Regina Transit at a bus stop news conference in Regina. He outlined Regina's share of the NDPs plan to invest in transit through a one cent per litre dedication of the existing federal excise tax.
Federal NDP Leader Jack Layton pledged $37.1 Million for Regina Transit at a bus stop news conference in Regina. He outlined Regina's share of the NDPs plan to invest in transit through a one cent per litre dedication of the existing federal excise tax.
Roy Antal/Regina Leader-Post

Another 23 per cent say they will drive less and 13 per cent claim they're going to start cycling or walking.

"The country has reached a tipping point," said Jean Perrault, president of the FCM. "Either we can take action to protect citizens from high gas prices and move people from cars to transit, or we can do nothing, leaving Canadians at the mercy of the gas pump."

The price of fuel is a "bread-and-butter" issue, yet federal leaders aren't addressing it as we approach the next federal election, he said.

"This is an opportunity to provide Canadian families with relief and to reduce traffic gridlock. It is an opportunity to move Canadians toward a more sustainable mode of transportation," with fewer greenhouse gas emissions.

"Canadians are now more concerned by the rising price of gas than they are by their rent or mortgage payments," or by taxes, he added, citing the survey from polling firm Strategic Counsel.

The telephone survey polled 1,100 urban Canadian adults in mid-August. Results of a poll this size are considered accurate plus or minus 2.95 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

Rural residents were not polled.

EXPRESS SERVICE

- There's massive support among urban Canadian adults (81 per cent) for using more of the federal gasoline tax revenue for public transit.

- Four in 10 Canadians believe cars and trucks are the country's main source of greenhouse gases.

- Twenty-one per cent said gasoline prices are their biggest financial worry. That's the top personal finance issue in the country, followed by the cost of housing and food.


© The Edmonton Journal 2008