Feds fund $49 million for 199 new buses

[mr.x]

Feds give BC $49.1 million to help buy new buses; most will be alternative energy

11 minutes ago

VANCOUVER - The federal government is giving British Columbia money to buy 199 new buses for the Vancouver area and most of them will run on alternative fuels.

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day said Friday the $49.1 million will come from the gas tax agreement between Ottawa and the provinces.

The money will contribute to the purchase of 90 new buses to expand the existing fleet and 109 buses that use alternative technology and will replace older buses.

"We're just so excited to see this moving ahead," said Day.

"It's a world-class example that can be looked to by other provinces and in fact by other countries in terms of moving ahead on the greener agenda."

The buses will be purchased next year.

Days said overall, B.C. will receive $635.6 million through 2010 under Ottawa's agreement to return more of the revenues collected from gas taxes to the provinces.

The total cost of the 199 new buses will be $139 million.

TransLink, the transit authority for the Vancouver area, will cover the remaining costs.

The gas tax agreement has already helped TransLink to buy 258 new buses in 2006 and 2007.




That's it?????

[j4893k]

"It's a world-class example that can be looked to by other provinces and in fact by other countries in terms of moving ahead on the greener agenda."

What an embarrassment. Try convincing the people using these busses that they're the "world-class" option.

[mr.x]

A "world-class example" would be Toronto's Transit City Plan, it's huge:




The plan is premised on developing a widely-spaced network of electric light-rail lines, each on its own right-of-way. The lines reach all across Toronto, all connecting with the city’s existing and planned rapid transit routes.

In total, 120 km of service will be added over the entire city. When completed in 2021, the new lines would carry 175 million riders per year including 75 million new riders. The estimated cost including vehicles is $6.1 billion.

The seven corridors suggested for the Toronto Transit City Plan – Light Rail are:

* Don Mills – Steeles Avenue to Bloor-Danforth Subway
* Eglinton Crosstown – Kennedy Station to Pearson Airport
* Etobicoke-Finch West – Yonge Street to Highway 27
* Jane – Jane Station to Steeles West Station
* Scarborough Malvern – Kennedy Station to Malvern/Morningside
* Sheppard East – Don Mills Station to Morningside Avenue
* Waterfront West – Union Station/Exhibition to Long Branch





AND that's not it. Even bigger, the Move Ontario plan:

Construction on the 902 kilometres of new or improved rapid transit would start in 2008 and be in place by 2020. The Government of Ontario has committed two-thirds of the estimated $17.5 billion cost, and has asked the Government of Canada to provide the remaining one-third. Municipalities would not be expected to contribute to the capital cost of the projects, but would be responsible for any operating subsidies that are required.

GO Rail extensions

* GO Lakeshore East rail line extension from Oshawa to Bowmanville
* GO Richmond Hill rail line extension to Aurora Road

GO Rail extensions/capacity expansions

* GO Bradford rail line extension and capacity expansion from Bradford to Barrie

GO Rail capacity expansions

* GO Bradford rail line capacity expansion from Union Station to Bradford
* GO Georgetown rail line capacity expansion from Union Station to Georgetown
* GO Lakeshore West rail line capacity expansion by adding a third track from Port Credit to Oakville
* GO Lakeshore West rail line capacity expansion by adding a third track from Burlington to Hamilton
* GO Lakeshore East rail line capacity expansion by adding a third track from Union Station to Scarborough
* GO Milton rail line capacity expansion from Union Station to Milton
* GO Richmond Hill rail line capacity expansion from Union Station to Richmond Hill
* GO Stouffville rail line capacity expansion from Union Station to Stouffville and extension of the line to Uxbridge

New GO Rail lines

* GO Crosstown rail line between Weston Road and the Don Valley
* GO Crosstown rail line between the Don Valley and Agincourt
* GO rail line from Union Station to Bolton
* GO rail line on the Havelock line from Agincourt to Pickering
* GO rail line on the Seaton line from Agincourt to Brock Road in Pickering

GO Rail conversion

* GO Lakeshore rail line electrification (SuperGO)

GO Bus Rapid Transit

* GO Bus Rapid Transit along Highway 403 from Oakville GO rail station to Mississauga
* GO Bus Rapid Transit northwest Toronto link from Renforth Drive to York University
* GO Bus Rapid Transit on Markham Road from Highway 407 in Markham to Highway 401
* GO Bus Rapid Transit on Highway 401 from Markham Road in Scarborough to Pickering GO rail station
* GO Bus Rapid Transit connector on Highway 427 from Renforth Drive to Highway 407
* GO Bus Rapid Transit along Highway 407 from York University to Langstaff (Yonge Street) and on to Markham Road
* GO Bus Rapid Transit along Highway 407 from Burlington to Highway 401
* GO Bus Rapid Transit along Highway 407 from Highway 401 to Highway 427
* GO Bus Rapid Transit along Highway 407 from Highway 427 to York University

Further information: GO Transit

[edit] Toronto Transit Commission

Subway/RT extensions

* Spadina subway line extension north from Downsview station to Highway 7 (Vaughan Corporate Centre)
* Yonge subway line extension north from Finch station to Highway 7 (Langstaff)
* Scarborough RT extension from McCowan station to Sheppard Avenue

Further information: Toronto subway and RT

New Light Rail Transit lines

* Waterfront West Light Rail Transit from Union Station to Long Branch
* Sheppard Avenue Light Rail Transit from Don Mills Road to Morningside Avenue
* Finch Avenue West Light Rail Transit from Highway 27 to Yonge Street
* Don Mills Road Light Rail Transit from Steeles Avenue to the Bloor-Danforth subway
* Jane Street Light Rail Transit from Steeles Avenue to Jane station on the Bloor-Danforth subway
* Malvern Light Rail Transit from Kennedy station to Malvern
* Eglinton Avenue Light Rail Transit from Renforth Drive to Kennedy Road in Scarborough

Further information: Transit City

TTC Transitway development

* Yonge surface transit improvements from Finch station to Steeles Avenue

[edit] York Region Transit/Viva

New Viva Bus Rapid Transit lines

* Viva Markham North-South Link from Markham Centre to Don Mills station

Viva Transitway development

* Viva Yonge Street from Steeles Avenue to Highway 7 (Langstaff)
* Viva Yonge Street from Highway 7 (Langstaff) to 19th Avenue in Richmond Hill
* Viva Yonge Street from 19th Avenue to Newmarket
* Viva Highway 7 from Highway 50 to Yonge Street (Langstaff)
* Viva Highway 7 from Yonge Street (Langstaff) to Cornell

Further information: York Region Transit
Further information: Viva (bus rapid transit)

[edit] Mississauga Transit

Mississauga Transitway (BRT)

* Mississauga Transitway west of Mississauga City Centre to Winston Churchill Boulevard
* Mississauga Transitway east of Mississauga City Centre to Renforth Drive

New Light Rail Transit lines

* Dundas Street West Light Rail Transit from Kipling station to Hurontario Street
* Hurontario Light Rail Transit from Queen Street in Brampton to Lakeshore Road in Mississauga

Further information: Mississauga Transit

[edit] Other projects

Pearson air-rail link

* Link from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Union Station

Further information: Blue22

Brampton Transit

* Brampton Acceleride on Queen Street from Main Street to Highway 50

Further information: Brampton Transit

Durham Region Transit

* Durham rapid transit line on Highway 2 from Oshawa to Pickering

Further information: Durham Region Transit

Hamilton Street Railway

* Hamilton east-west rapid transit on King/Main Streets from Eastgate Mall to McMaster University
* Hamilton north-south rapid transit on James/Upper James Streets from Rymal Road to King Street

Further information: Hamilton Street Railway

Why can't we do that? Why can't our politicians have the same will and vision?

[Canadian Mind]

it's hard to say for out here. It's not necessarily;y a right-wing vs left wing situation... It's more each group is tying the same methods to win people over simply because they want to be in power... then once in power they prefer to do what they think is best to convince people to let them stay in power, rather than do whats best for the people.

90% of people in BC drive or take a bus. As such, it makes logical sense that in order to keep the people happy, you facilitate the use of these modes of transportation (or make it look like that is what you are doing). another thing is cost, the cheaper, the better. so as such, not only do they go for the worst possible solution for the people (but makes people happy), you do it as cheaply as possible.

What the government needs out here is some fat lobby-groups, which is why I keep saying we should start one for Vancouver. We have the perfect format now for debating each individual issue before taking a stance, as well as recruiting more people to the cause.

We all want better for Vancouver, so lets stand together and make shit happen, even if our opinions may occasionally disagree.

[mr.x]

Well, I do think we'll see many more and significant announcements in the coming weeks. I guess the province just wasn't quite ready to announce funding for the Evergreen Line.

Campbell said he wanted to see transit ridership across the province dramatically increase. In the Vancouver area, transit ridership is at around 12 per cent, roughly half that of cities like Hong Kong, he said.

"That's going to require new investments and unprecedented increase in bus fleets," Campbell said, hinting further announcements could be weeks away.

Didn't Translink say that in order to meet the province's climate change goals for 2020, Metro Vancouver's transit ridership would have to increase from today's 12% to 30%?

[SFUVancouver]

Re: bus funding.

We'll take it, but that's it?

It is becoming inreasingly clear the Conservative Gov't doesn't get cities.

[vanhattan]

I agree that 200 more busses is most welcome and long overdue. My question is how many net new busses is this after subtracting for old busses that need to be retired?

I faithfully took the bus for the first 2 years of living here and saw my daily commute between downtown and UBC go from 30 minutes to over an hour each way. I got so sick of standing on the way overcrowded buses, and being passed by by 3-5 buses every morning that I did what every city planner hates to hear.....I got back into my big black Mercedes, and will continue to do so until this city improves public transportation at least to the humane conditions level. I feel sorry for the others who do not have the choice to abandon the substandard public transportation system here.

[mr.x]

Originally Posted by vanhattan

I agree that 200 more busses is most welcome and long overdue. My question is how many net new busses is this after subtracting for old busses that need to be retired?

I faithfully took the bus for the first 2 years of living here and saw my daily commute between downtown and UBC go from 30 minutes to over an hour each way. I got so sick of standing on the way overcrowded buses, and being passed by by 3-5 buses every morning that I did what every city planner hates to hear.....I got back into my big black Mercedes, and will continue to do so until this city improves public transportation at least to the humane conditions level. I feel sorry for the others who do not have the choice to abandon the substandard public transportation system here.

"The money will contribute to the purchase of 90 new buses to expand the existing fleet and 109 buses that use alternative technology and will replace older buses."

Not much......we should have 1500 buses by next year though. Really, we need about 2,000 buses and some routes deserve the 60 footers.

[Mike K.]

Same old song for Victoria. We neither have enough buses to make the service attractive to enough commuters and general daily riders nor do we have the funding for enough drivers.

Transit in this province has taken a nosedive over the last decade. It was only in the last year or so that transit service returned to 2000/2001 levels across the capital after major cutbacks in funding by the Libs.

Furthermore, I smell BS from our politicians about transit investment. This is all on the eve of the Olympics to make Vancouver look better in the eyes of tourists and city critics who will swarm the area in 2010, but better isn't necessarily going to solve the transit issues, is it.

[CrooklynDodger]

Originally Posted by SFUVancouver

Re: bus funding.

We'll take it, but that's it?

It is becoming inreasingly clear the Conservative Gov't doesn't get cities.

As opposed to the Fed Liberals that refused to give a tax rebate on transit or share ANYTHING with the cities for transit until they almost lost power.