 submiss the canada transport act review panel submiss the canada transport act review panel better environment sound transport vancouv bc april 2001 better environment sound transport best wish canada transport review panel opportun particip review transport issu structur canada best non-profit organis dedic promot sustain transport land-us plan best began 10 year ago cycl advocaci group evolv largest sustain transport advocaci organis canada best 800 support member divers rang privat public fund we manag wide rang educ advocaci project aim encourag environment friendli transport choic british columbian we address three issu identifi panel?s document publish januari 2001 - entitl issu under consider our comment focu issu question urban transport urban public transit canadian citi summari recommend our primari recommend urban transport address canada transport act the act amend address urban transport encourag develop protect public transit the govern canada develop fund dedic comprehens infrastructur invest program urban transit - partnership provinci municip govern such program support nation local transport ensur consist sustain balanc invest urban transit level govern major citi the govern canada consid rang tax polici initi transport usag infrastructur equit reflect true full cost transport option a number incent disincent - dedic fuel tax tax shift road user charg tax-exempt transit benefit - introduc feder govern such carrot stick reward effici sustain transport choic encourag modal shift singl occup motor vehicl public transport cycl walk the canada transport act amend ensur access rail right-of-wai urban transit infrastructur undu interfer railwai oper provid fair regul framework negoti urban transit provid railwai sustain develop environ how canadian govern promot develop sustain transport system? transport polici invest major environment impact most comment point automobil overus impact fossil fuel consumpt air qualiti deterior health impact climat chang ga emiss howev addit issu suburban sprawl - continu expans auto-orient develop road highwai park network - threaten ecolog habitat valuabl agricultur land contribut seriou stormwat runoff qualiti quantiti problem associ health econom cost sprawl entrench automobil depend overus environment health impact car-relat health care cost estim 1 billion year ontario as 5 000 prematur death year canada attribut air pollut problem citi rate asthma children increas major citi automobil tailpip sourc 70 urban air pollut lead sourc greenhous gase - primari factor global climat chang these true full cost automobil usag thei externalis cost - paid user paid accid victim asthmat children elderli - real greater public transit help revers trend reduc cost increas invest need spur usag transit servic remain inadequ inconveni urban area compact suburban develop sustain develop nation prioriti and transport kei air pollut climat chang rang environment human health effect it essenti main piec feder transport legisl address issu the canada transport act amend address urban transport encourag develop protect public transit sustain capit invest - road public transit is extens feder spend road public transit? canadian citi engin nation economi yet vital attract citi threat urban sprawl traffic congest air pollut an unbalanc transport system - highli depend automobil road infrastructur - cost in greater vancouv cost congest delai commerci traffic estim 500 annual individu experi cost wai traffic volum greater vancouv increas rate popul growth 1996 1999 averag commut time on-third 1984 1994 nonetheless region experienc 65 car road dai it clear greater invest road solv problem wherev road capac increas attempt deal traffic congest road capac traffic ?build road car come? commonplac transport plan meanwhil govern invest public transit infrastructur fallen - 25 cent 1996 canadian urban transit associ cuta mani provinc municip cut transit servic rais fare while bc govern best provinci fund municip transit canada core bu trollei servic remain inadequ grow mobil popul inde translink cut bu servic 5 propos sever cutback - 20 cent exist servic - fund forthcom the feder govern role plai urban transport canada g-7 countri urban transit invest program nation level both european us govern provid substanti fund nation level urban transit infrastructur the us feder govern commit 6 billion dollar transit invest program canadian viabl altern car urban set thei better public transit well better cycl pedestrian facil we feder commit address urban mobil traffic congest air pollut the feder govern develop comprehens infrastructur program urban transit - partnership provinci municip govern the announc canada infrastructur program includ public transit municip prioriti water sewer fund a infrastructur program dedic public transit major contribut build balanc equit transport system canadian citi - help creat viabl altern urban sprawl continu depend automobil is role dedic tax road public transit? do exist road user charg fuel tax distort choic mode practic improv avail? ar effici altern greater subsidis urban transit? increas transit invest suffici peopl car suppli side invest equat govern consid demand-side solut - includ increas fuel tax road charg - work accur reflect true cost travel choic transport infrastructur such solut includ transport-demand manag measur road user charg system-wide road bridg toll congest price intellig transport system promis measur feder fuel tax directli dedic urban public transit infrastructur re-balanc transport automobil depend other potenti solut includ tax-shift tax-exempt employ-provid transit benefit tax-shift simpl concept revenu-neutral shift tax ?good? incom employ ?bad? pollut consumpt non-renew resourc through tax shift net increas tax revenu feder govern rebal burden road infrastructur cost road user gener taxpay - don?t drive drive infrequ the ?margin cost? individu trip major decis factor dai-to-dai travel current ?margin cost? car travel perceiv low driver actual cost road park infrastructur hidden - subsidis gener taxpay thi true park the avail cost park kei determin travel choic current major canadian employ provid free park employe benefit thi benefit taxabl realiti rare enforc eighti cent automobil commut receiv subsidis park employ employe receiv transit benefit as well employ provid transit benefit tax the provis free park larg number employe distort cost drive make expens public transit the feder govern rectifi situat the govern canada amend incom tax act permit employ provid transit benefit employe tax-exempt basi such step encourag modal shift singl-occup vehicl public transport tax shift road price tax-exempt transit benefit higher fuel tax ?reflect? true cost road infrastructur mainten extern thei benefit reduc unnecessari vehicl trip short distanc turn public transit attract conveni econom preserv urban rail corridor is mechan need ensur municip provinci govern adequ opportun preserv urban corridor? urban rail corridor great potenti futur benefit urban commun citizen the re-us discontinu urban rail corridor rare opportun introduct public transit mix-us greenwai urban trail the exist discontinu procedur canada transport act reflect region municip transport thi evid vancouv cp outlin three-year plan discontinu redevelop arbutu corridor convert corridor non-transport subsequ debat reveal public support preserv urban rail corridor transport the citi vancouv action design arbutu transport purpos cp file court challeng design the preserv urban rail corridor futur transport includ mix light-rail cycl path urban trail central compon nation transport polici the canada transport act amend ensur access rail right-of-wai urban transit infrastructur undu interfer railwai oper provid fair regul framework negoti urban transit provid railwai conclus the canada transport act updat amend reflect realiti transport 21st centuri canada thoroughli urbanis countri citi plai central role canada?s econom social life in addit issu sustain develop environ consid central factor transport decis polici inde long-term environment consider - air qualiti climat chang - outweigh shorter-term financi decis regard transport an amend canada transport act clearli includ urban transport - public transit - scope provis further canadian govern-ment commit comprehens infrastructur program urban public transit feder transport polici reflect long-term goal sustain environment protect in canadian govern measur rebal cost usag transport infrastructur facil reduc impact transport environ human health these includ decis tax polici fuel tax infrastructur invest introduct user charg road toll congest price final preserv exist transport infrastructur urban rail corridor futur potenti public includ kei element nation transport polici best respectfulli submit point concern canada transport act review panel consider rai straatsma polici commun director david thompson execut director 