Canada’s first subway line, which opened in Toronto in 1954, was 7.4 kilometers long and cost $6.8 million per kilometer—$76 million per kilometer in today’s money. That seems a bargain compared to a subway line Toronto is now constructing at a projected cost of well...
Transportation
Building 21st Century Transit Systems For Canadian Cities
Policy Series 241
Revival of Rail Transit in Canada Questioned by Latest Policy Report
WINNIPEG, [March 12 2024] Canada's transit landscape is experiencing a profound transformation as eight major cities embark on the ambitious journey of developing rail transit systems. This marks a significant departure from the conventional wisdom of the 1950s when...
MB/SK/AB NeeStaNan Utilities Corridor: First Nations-Led Utility Corridor is a 21st-Century Nation-Building Initiative
“The trading of goods has been in our DNA as Indigenous People for centuries, but somewhere along the way this was lost. It’s time to regain our prosperity, for the betterment of our communities and for our country.” – NeeStaNan website
Featured News
Weaponizing the Law
The indictment of former U.S. president Donald Trump for crimes invented by his political opponents is the most egregious example yet seen of the weaponizing of the law. The United States is now full of examples. However, in Canada, we also see the law being...
“Looking At” Seizing Control Over Western Canada’s Natural Resources
OTTAWA, REGINA - Last week, two things happened that could have profound impacts on natural resources development in Saskatchewan. One is a hint the federal government might want to take control of natural resources away from the provinces, and the other is the...
Is Space the Final Frontier – Imagine?
Other than Covid 19, inflation, the collapse of Hong Kong as a free society, and a continuing bull stock market, the last two years has also been a time of space “development. We have also seen two companies offer space tourism, the development of the largest rocket...
International Traffic Congestion Extinguished by Pandemic and Remote Work
The 2020 TomTom Traffic Index reflects a huge drop in worldwide urban traffic congestion levels. Congestion levels (rated by the percentage of additional time required for auto travel during “rush hour”) dropped in 387 urban areas while increasing in only 13. Overall,...
The Duel Over KCS Not a Sign of Ottawa Failure, but a Strategy to Exploit Customers’ China Aversion
Recently, a bidding war has erupted between Canada’s two mammoth and historic railways, Canadian National, ‘CN’ and archrival, Canadian Pacific, ‘CP,’ for the U.S. railroad, Kansas City Southern, ‘KCS.’ This is all about KCS’ mid-American location and its extensive...
High-Speed Rail: Stop, Look, and Listen
To listen to the promoters, the Vancouver to Seattle and Portland high-speed rail proposal may look like a great idea. For many, high-speed rail is a panacea that promises to solve all of our transportation and environmental problems. It behooves governments and...
eZine: Ideas that change your world (Quarterly) Issue 1
Frontier Centre for Public Policy is proud to release its new premier quarterly magazine Ideas that change your world is our premier quarterly magazine delivering to you some of Frontier's latest thought-provoking, eye-opening, and captivating content from the past 90...
Airbus A380: Death of the “Plane Born to Die”
Airbus’ cancellation (February 14) of the four engine, wide-body A380 jumbo jet ends the troubled life of a plane that always was too big and out of sync with changing market realities. Little more than 11 years after its October 2007 maiden commercial flight by...
No Easy Way to Pay the Ferryman: A Valuation of Marine Atlantic
The Frontier Centre for Public Policy has just released No Easy Way to Pay the Ferryman: A Valuation of Marine Atlantic by Ian Madsen, a senior policy analyst with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy. The paper conducts an in depth valuation of the alternative...
Airplane Safety and Alcohol
Ever since Wilbur and Orville Wright proved that heavier than air machines could indeed fly, safety has been the first priority when it comes to air travel. Engines and chassis are inspected and re-inspected. It only makes sense that if some gizmo in your car engine...
Drive Slowly On Subsidies For Rural Bus Service
Greyhound Canada stunned many in Western Canada with a surprise, summer announcement that it’s pulling its buses out of all four Western provinces. The July 9 statement blames an aging population, urban migration and competition from ultra low-cost airlines like Swoop...