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...
Results for "Public transit"
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...
The “Just Transition” Soviet Style Plans for Canada’s Oilpatch
The “Just Transition” legislation currently before the House of Commons Natural Resources Committee mentions unions a fair bit. It also mentions what are effectively five-year plans, which was a common practice for moulding the economies of the Soviet Union and China,...
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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...
Republican response to Obama throwing down the gauntlet on climate and energy was weak, wholly inadequate
Republican Senator Marco Rubio’s feeble response to President Obama throwing down the gauntlet on the nation’s energy policy.
Winnipeg Public Transportation: Making the Perfect the Enemy of the Good
Public transportation used to be an afterthought in mid-sized North American cities. There now appears to be a consensus that public transportation is important for moving people around the core of relatively dense cities. Unfortunately, rather than focusing on practical improvement, many politicians and transit advocates are trying to rush too far in the other direction.
Media Release – Traffic Congestion Hurts Productivity: A National Transit Strategy Could Make Matters Worse
Gridlock costs Canadian cities billions of dollars in productivity. It also costs commuters both time and money. Many transit advocates believe that a national transit strategy will help increase mobility, and reduce gridlock. But Cox argues that rather than increasing mobility, a national transit strategy could make things worse.
There is No Need for a National Transit Strategy
While many urban politicians and interest groups have argued for a national transit strategy, the real solution to excessive commute times is to empower municipalities.
Mass Transit: Could Raising Fares Increase Ridership?
Keeping transit fares as low as possible does not necessarily promote high ridership levels. The key to convincing people who can afford driving to instead take public transit is convenience, not lower prices. The best solution for reducing the automobile’s advantages over transit is to operate transit on a for-profit basis. Transit services must also be converted into transit commissions, which would coordinate and contract transit routes to competing private companies.
Bus Rapid Transit Seen as Option Until LRT Lines Are Citywide: Trains more expensive, seen as most desirable choice for commuters
I took the bus or drove to work for 20 years before moving to a neighbourhood served by LRT, and there’s no comparison. LRT is vastly superior.
The High Cost of Calgary’s Low-Cost Transit
Those figures conveniently ignore some pretty substantial light rail costs. For one thing, they count only capital costs from the first nine years of C-Train development, when the city spent $18 million per kilometer to build the initial phases. Those were the cheapest phases, of course, because they focused on the highest density routes, heavily centred around downtown—“the low hanging fruit.”
Media Release – The 30th Anniversary of the C-Train: A Critical Analysis of Calgary’s Light Rail Transit System
The costs of LRT are understated while its benefits are overstated. LRT is often thought of as a happy medium between buses and trains. In reality, it combines their disadvantages. Light rail transit is slow, inflexible, and expensive
The 30th Anniversary of the C-Train: A Critical Analysis of Calgary’s Light Rail Transit System
The costs of LRT are understated while its benefits are overstated. LRT is often thought of as a happy medium between buses and trains. In reality, it combines their disadvantages. Light rail transit is slow, inflexible, and expensive