Global warming - time running out for human race

...Most of Canada will continue to become warmer with increased violent storms and rain in the east. Areas of the southern Prairies will become more arid. The Arctic will experience melting permafrost and melting ice sheets....

...What are not clearly understood are the impacts of feedbacks that will drive global warming faster and farther. Permafrost melting, for instance, will release vast amounts of methane, a powerful GHG, while the warming of the ocean will reduce its capacity to absorb GHGs.... Canada.com

259-car pileup in Germany - enough is enough

At least 66 people have been injured in a mass pile-up involving 259 cars on a motorway in north Germany, police say. Ten people are said to be fighting for their lives in hospital after the series of crashes on the A2 between Hanover and Peine on Sunday evening. Police said the pile-up was believed to have been caused by a combination of heavy rain and excessive speed. Rescue workers were busy throughout the night treating the injured and clearing damaged cars from the motorway. BBC

In Germany, the private auto today caused tremendous pain and suffering. But we know this goes on day after day everywhere on a smaller scale. What will it take for you to get involved? The auto is literally killing us. It kills in so many ways. Join your local transit advocacy group. Make transit fare-free. Declare independence from the auto, oil-wars, and global warming.

Grand River Environmental Network: Build LRT, make it free.

...Service should be free. Public transportation and roads are both built and maintained by tax dollars. We do not pay tolls to use our roads; we should not pay to use public transit. ...

.....The Region of Waterloo has the opportunity now, with support from both the provincial and federal governments, to raise the bar and create a world-standard setting transportation system that can do more than just move people. Indeed, without it, it is difficult to envision a healthy, sustainable future for our community..... CambridgeAdvocate

Laval, Quebec - kids ride free this summer

Fare-free is actually cheaper

"...Now some people would argue that free public transit would overburden the system, there wouldn't be enough buses, they would get too crowded. That's completely retarded, that's exactly the outcome you *want*. You buy more buses!

I believe it may actually be cheaper in the long run. If you have more people on public transit you don't have to spend as much making new roads everywhere, people buy fewer cars saving them tons of money, we pollute less and have to spend less on reducing CO2, etc. there are tons of long term savings that are hard to quantify. ..." cbloomrants

Toronto - Nuit Blanche needs free public transit

And what about the TTC? True the commission managed grudgingly to extend selected routes into the night, but the service should have been free and there should have been more of it. Who knows, perhaps the TTC would have attracted new riders by using the occasion to show how convenient and efficient it is. (On the other hand, it's more likely those one-time passengers left the subway happier than ever to get back into their cars.)
Above all, Nuit Blanche revealed the growing gap between the people who live in this city and those who run it. Torontonians are light years ahead of their leaders in understanding what it means to inhabit an urban centre. And unlike the nabobs, residents are well aware that the 1950s are over. TheStar.com

Vancouver car-free day brings out fare-free advocates

...Making public transit a free ride (paid for through taxes or some way other than fares) was the most popular concept of all. Several participants mentioned free-fare initiatives in Portland and Seattle and asking why Vancouver can't do something similar. It was certainly evident that transit in Vancouver is a hot topic of discussion and will continue to be in the near future.... The Tyee

Free transit roaring success

...At first the mayor had his detractors. He was nicknamed “Steve Stunt” when his free bus scheme first went into operation. But the results of his policies speak for themselves: by 2006, use of public transport in Hasselt had increased thirteenfold. The ease of getting around is an enormous boost for business – and because most of these businesses are locally owned, the money stays in the community....New Statesman

Chattanooga, TN, USA, free downtown shuttle

The Downtown Electric Shuttle is the easiest way to get around Downtown Chattanooga. It's a FREE ride! Electric buses run daily* about every 5 minutes from the Chattanooga Choo Choo to the Tennessee Aquarium with stops every block in between. Convenient access to the attractions, convention center, shopping, hotels & employment sites in the Downtown area. All Shuttle buses are wheelchair accessible. In service since 1992, CARTA’s Downtown Shuttle service has recorded over 11.3 million passenger trips. The quiet, environmentally friendly, electric buses have run more than 1.9 million miles saving an estimated 65 tons of pollutants. Link

Oil will be USD 200 per barrel by 2012

"Today, in the midst of the worst crisis of the last 60 years, the barrel is traded at just over $ 60 ... Not need a degree in economics to imagine how much it will cost when the recession is over, when people find a job, when they resume driving ... "
At $ 100 within 12 months following an economic upturn, and then to $ 200 by 2012, he says. (Google translate)

«Aujourd'hui, en plein milieu de la pire crise des 60 dernières années, le baril s'échange à un peu plus de 60$... Pas besoin d'un diplôme en économie pour imaginer combien il coûtera quand la récession sera finie, quand les gens retrouveront un emploi, quand ils recommenceront à conduire...»
À combien, justement? How, exactly? À 100$ dans les 12 mois suivant une relance économique, puis à 200$ d'ici 2012, estime-t-il. (la presse affaires - Quebec)

other blogs commenting: Carfree France - Vélorution

Re-imagine car culture

"We don't really like our car-dominated cities. We prefer places that are dense, lively and walkable -- the places we tend to go to on vacation, such as the old centres of European cities, with interesting buildings, narrow streets, squares and public art. But because we have made our cities barely navigable without cars, we have no idea how to remake them in a more pleasing form..." The Star Phoenix (Saskatchewan)

First, they ignore you...

Sudir - ... a person travelling in public transport is doing public good, thus he should be given preference. He should be allowed to ride comfortably while the city pays for his ticket. So yes, I think it’s a valid reason. Public transport should be free and comfortable.
Bert – The idea may not look exciting at the start and some people may mock us for this. But I think this should be given serious thought. When we put all the facts and the environmentally good factors, all the pieces of puzzle would fit together. Remember Gandhi’s quote – “First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win!!!! For now, hold your wallet and push yourself inside the train… Clean Air Initiative - Asia

Stockholm, Sweden - Fare-free movement growing

• Groups (Planka.nu, Friends of the Earth, The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation) began to work against planned city highways around Stockholm
• The Swedish left party started to support the idea of free public transport
• The newly formed climate alliance Klimataktion started to support the idea of free public transport
• Free Public Transport Day was celebrated for the first time on 2008/03/01
• The climate action group Klimax arranged ‘climate crashes’
• Groups (Planka.nu, Friends of the Earth, the youth section of The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation) arranged an anti-highway weekend
• Groups (Planka.nu, Klimax) organized a lot of actions against the car lobby during Almedalsveckan (an annual meetup of politicians and lobbyists)
• Planka.nu participated in the European Social Forum in Malmo and hosted a well-attended “Building a public transport network” meeting
• The concept of an international network for free public transport was conceived
• A report called “Travel doesn’t have to cost the earth” was released (5 concrete measures to make Stockholm’s transport sector climate-smart and socially just)
• Planka.nu successfully engaged in a political action to oppose proposed “stop the free-riding” barriers Read more...FMBS
  

Cars waste your money

But the bottom line is household economics. American families who are car-dependent spend 25 percent of their household income on their fleet of cars, compared with just 9 percent for transportation for those who live in walkable urban places. That potential 16 percent[age points] savings could go into improved housing (building household wealth), educating children or that most un-American of all activities, saving. NYTimes

Australia - Free public transport coming for NSW?

...The move could save hundreds of millions in staffing costs, ticket-machine operations and abolish the trouble-plagued smartcard... news.com