It costs a lot of time and money to collect bus fares

The Economist: "Fares bring in a lot of money, but they cost money to collect—6% of the MTA's budget, according to a 2007 report in New York magazine. Fare boxes and turnstiles have to be maintained; buses idle while waiting for passengers to pay up, wasting fuel; and everyone loses time. Proof-of-payment systems don't solve the problem of fare-collection costs as they require inspectors and other staff to handle enforcement, paperwork and payment processing. Making buses and subways free, on the other hand, would increase passenger numbers, opening up space on the streets for essential traffic and saving time by reducing road congestion."

When externalities are counted, #tarsands are negative net energy

Canada's tar sands companies fail to clean up toxic waste, report finds | World news | guardian.co.uk: "None of the companies operating in Canada's tar sands have met a commitment to clean up the vast and expanding sprawl of toxic waste ponds, an official report has found."

London, Ontario youth want the city to move people, not vehicles

The London Free Press: "“Focus on moving people and not vehicles”"

'via Blog this'

Regina considering #freetransit to promote ridership

Public transit department mulls free trips: "In a bid to boost Regina's public transit ridership levels, transit department officials are eyeing a campaign that could include free or discounted bus rides in September."