Culmiating Task-3.pdf

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Topic 3 – Article 1http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/why-canada-has-fallen-so-far-behind-on-public-transit-1.3137415Why Canada has fallen so far behind on publictransit. 'Electoral alliances and political gains,'are driving new transit, not smart decisionmaking.By Lucas Powers, CBC News Posted: Jul 06, 2015 5:00 AM ETInadequate public transit hasbecome as Canadian asmaple syrup, and cities arestruggling to find affordablesolutions.Metro Vancouver took anovel crack at the problemlast week with a plebisciteon a 0.5 per cent sale taxhike that would havecovered the region's $7.5-billion share in a massive10-year transit strategy.Voters resoundingly rejected the plan, with nearly 62 per cent of the 759,696 ballots cast for theNo side. It was a stunning defeat for the proposal's backers in an area in need of new transitinfrastructure to serve a growing population but without any way of paying for it in theforeseeable future.Unfortunately, similar scenarios are playing out in cities across the country.For critics, Canada'stransit woes have been exacerbated by the politicization of infrastructure projects and apervasive car-centric mentality engrained in our institutions.Federal and provincial funding for new public transit projects has long been sporadic and withoutany clear direction, leaving municipalities to shoulder most of the burden, says Todd Litman,director of the Victoria Transport Policy Institute.As well, he says, much of the funding that has been made available supported infrastructure fordrivers, a vestige of 20th century approaches to urban planning.9
"There was this consensus that the majority of transportation planning and funding should beoriented toward accommodating more cars," Litman says, adding that there is clearly growingdemand for alternatives, particularly public transit, and policy has largely failed to reflect that."What it boils down to is that it's much easier for local governments to get funding for a highwayimprovement or new bridge than it is for a public transit project, even if public transit is the morerational investment."Transit for political gainThere are some signs of hope on the horizon for cities, however. Beginning in 2017, there willbe $1B annually earmarked in the federal budget for regional transit projects.And it being anelection year in Canada, the Conservatives have obliged some of the demands of big city mayorsseeking support for transit initiatives.For example, in June it was announced that Ottawa will contribute $2.6B, about one third of thetotal cost, to Toronto Mayor John Tory's SmartTrack plan — welcome news in a city that is saidto lose an estimated $11 billion in economic activity each year due to crippling congestion.Amid growing pressure from big city leaders for new infrastructure cash, Stephen Harper'sgovernment has earmarked $1B annually for public transit projects starting in 2017. The NDPand Liberals are also promising new funding as well. (Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)But politicalwrangling has stifled smart transit planning in Canadian cities says Murtaza Haider, an associateprofessor at the Ted Rogers School of Management at Ryerson University."Just look at the Conservatives right now. There's an election on the horizon and if somebodyproposed a transit system based on flying monkeys and it happened to serve a contested area,they'd help fund it," he says, only half-jokingly."The result is that often we are not supporting the transit we need, but projects thatadvance electoral alliances and political gains."Haider argues that Toronto's Sheppard subway line is an example of how politics can play toolarge a role in how we design and ultimately build transit projects. Completed in 2002 after yearsof delays and cost overruns, the 5.5 km stretch of track was largely championed by a smallcoalition of politicians hoping to curry favour from voters in an area that was, at the time, arelatively sparsely populated patch of suburbia.Density has increased around the line since its unveiling, but ridership has not lived up toprojections. Two of the city's major streetcar routes — the King and Spadina — have higherdaily ridership but cost far less to operate.It's a cautionary tale of what happens when politics trumps effective planning, Haider says,adding that "there are examples of these kinds of mistakes all across the country."10
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