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”"

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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."

Bubble, Bubble, Oil and Trouble

Father Theo's Blog: "The body of peer-reviewed scientific literature effectively is science.  Thus the science and the scientists agree in equal measure that the climate’s in a mess, fossil carbon is the cause, and if we don’t do something about it, we’re going to fall into a mess we can’t crawl out of.  The quicker we act the more damage we can avoid."

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Winnipeg needs to address sprawl

Winter is coming - Winnipeg Free Press: "The goal of rapid transit is not to simply get people from one place to another quickly. It is to avoid the need for cities to occupy larger and larger footprints.
It sounds utopian, but denser cities are cheaper to operate, easier to navigate, promote more interaction between people and tend to be prone to less crime. They are simply more livable for people other than those who rely exclusively on cars."

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Regina, SK, John Klein speaks up for #publictransit

John Klein - Regina | A Positive Voice for Our City: "“If we want people to switch to transit, which I do, (I think 4% usage is excessively low) then what we’re planning for has to be different from what we’re doing now. It can’t be the same to get a different result. What the report has suggested is that we can do more with the same amount of money. And I think that is overly optimistic, even delusional.”"

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Some of the worst commutes in the world - Canada

Municipalities welcome infrastructure funding in latest federal budget, but say more planning needed | hilltimes.com: "Canadian cities are known for having some of the longest commute times in the world. According to a 2010 study by Statistics Canada, average one-way commute times were 30 minutes in metropolitan areas, meaning that people in urban areas spend an hour a day in transit on average. In Toronto, commuters spend up to 80 minutes daily in transit."

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Canada - Public input on pipelines severely curtailed

Energy board changes pipeline complaint rules - The Globe and Mail: "Canadians who want to tell the National Energy Board what they think about proposed pipeline projects – either in person or in writing – must now complete a 10-page application form proving they would be directly affected by the development or that they have relevant expertise."

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Montreal considering "drop-off-anywhere" public #carsharing

Car2go for Montreal? City studying car-sharing program: "Already available in cities such as Toronto, Paris, Chicago and Vancouver for a one-time sign-up cost of $35, the car-sharing system would allow users to pick up a vehicle anywhere they like and drop it off within a region of the city stretching from Anjou to Verdun. Unlike the Communauto car-sharing system in place in Quebec since 1994, users would not have to reserve automobiles in advance or bring the car back to the spot where they picked it up."

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Tarsand devastation - will only get worse - not better

https://twitter.com/AuntieImperial/status/318191486476902400/photo/1
http://auntieimperial.blogspot.com/p/aunties-postings-around-web.html

Nova Scotia funds new sustainable transportation projects - Local - The News

Province funds new sustainable transportation projects - Local - The News: "Energy Minister Charlie Parker announced grants totaling $918,655 Tuesday for 28 community groups across Nova Scotia for Nova Scotia Moves Sustainable Transportation Program projects."

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Montréal - $3.7 Billion for one interchange. How much #freetransit would that buy?

Turcot Interchange construction delayed for two more years | CTV Montreal News: "The cost for the Turcot rebuild is currently estimated at $3.7 billion, and Marois said that will be the ceiling price, with the consortium that wins the bid to build being responsible for any cost overruns."

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Canadian and US aboriginal groups vow to block oil pipelines | Environment | guardian.co.uk

Canadian and US aboriginal groups vow to block oil pipelines | Environment | guardian.co.uk: "An alliance of Canadian and US aboriginal groups vowed on Wednesday to block three multibillion-dollar oil pipelines that are planned to transport oil from the Alberta tar sands, saying they are prepared to take physical action to stop them."

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International aboriginal alliance vows to fight new oilsands pipelines

International aboriginal alliance vows to fight new oilsands pipelines: "OTTAWA — An alliance of First Nations leaders is preparing to fight proposed new pipelines in the courts and through unspecified direct action.

Native leaders from Canada and the United States were on Parliament Hill on Wednesday to underline opposition to both the Northern Gateway and Keystone XL pipelines."

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