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X-Mozilla-Status: 0001 Message-ID: <36524BFC.2CA4@ns.sympatico.ca> Date: Tue, 17 Nov 1998 20:24:28 -0800 From: John/Karen Pearce <jk.pearce@ns.sympatico.ca> Organization: LLLC/T2000ATL X-Mailer: Mozilla 2.02E-SYMPA (Win95; I; 16bit) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: fitzgew@region.halifax.ns.ca CC: cooperr@region.halifax.ns.ca, mcinroh@regional.halifax.ns.ca, greenoj@region.halifax.ns.ca, sartoc@region.halifax.ns.ca, hetherb@region.halifax.ns.ca, schofic@region.halifax, ns.ca, cunninj@region.halifax.ns.ca, blumenj@region.halifax.ns.ca, downeyg@region.halifax.ns.ca, uteckl@region.halifax.ns.ca, fougers@region.halifax, ns.ca, walkerr@region.halifax.ns.ca, stoneb@region.halifax.ns.ca, hansonr@region.halifax.ns.ca, adamss@region.halifax.ns.ca, harveyb@region.halifax.ns.ca, kellyp@region.halifax.ns.ca Subject: Transport/Environment Policies of HRM: Transit downgrading Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Dear HRM Councillors: I wish to express the disappointment of consumer interest group Transport 2000 Atlantic in the recent fare increases and route cuts proposed for HRM transit. We are particularly concerned that there seems to be an impression that there is little citizen concern over these "cuts". The rapidity with which they were first suggested and then approved may, we feel, be largely responsible. Our group would like to remind councillors that HRM is a member of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities "20% Club". This serious commitment requires member municipalities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions (mainly CO2) by 20% below 1990 levels by the year 2005. Our sense is that currently Halifax has INCREASED its emissions and we are over half way through the period. The biggest contribution to Greenhouse Gas production is through burning of fossil fuels in transportation. Reductions in urban areas should come largely from use of public transit instead of private automobiles. Other reductions can be expected from car pooling, and to some extent from the alternatives of cycling and walking as well as more compact development. I understand that the Halifax Regional Municipality has also embraced programs suggested by the Transport Association of Canada. Some of their proposals are: - minimizing "urban sprawl" by planning more compact development and providing tax incentives to limit "sprawl" and related auto use. - providing alternatives to single occupant auto use such as improved transit, high occupancy car lanes, and park and ride facilities - developing regulations (parking, emissions etc.) to encourage more efficient use of automobiles - use of economic instruments to encourage efficient autos, and use of transit, while taxing fuels and parking at higher rates In response to these initiatives, planners in Vancouver (1996) concluded that "options making travel by car easier in the future than it is now would NOT be considered". The answer is to start looking at alternatives such as public transport and improved urban planning. These ideas are all well known to planners. However they need to be reminded by our elected officials that the strategies are to be given priority and funded, if necessary, by a reduction in road expenditures which serve only to increase automobile traffic. John Pearce, President, Transport 2000 Atlantic.
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