Right now, mobility in Canada means pollution and the transportation sector is the biggest offender. In 2014 it was responsible for 24 % of national GHG emissions, and over half of those emissions were attributed specifically to personal vehicles. Convenience is key, and the numbers show that people consider their car to be the most convenient way to travel. To address the negative effects of using a personal vehicle, deterrents such as highway tolls and extra tax for less efficient cars have been introduced in hopes that by charging people for making “bad” choices, they will stop doing so. So far, it hasn’t worked. But how about the flip-side: creating alternatives that are just as convenient and easy, and make “doing the right thing” irresistible?
One way that governments can do this is to fund efficient, reliable, fast and fluid transportation systems. For over a decade VIA Rail has concentrated on improving the efficiency of our locomotives, streamlining our operations and reducing our fuel consumption. We have already reduced our GHG emissions by 25% and our fuel consumption by 27% over the past 6 years, in line with our COP 21 and UIC pledges. This week, we published our first Sustainable Mobility Report. It maps out all that we have accomplished in terms of sustainability to date as well as future goals. Despite our achievements in emission reduction, we have reached a plateau within the constraints of our current operating system. Since VIA Rail was founded in 1977, we have shared the railway infrastructure with freight trains and therefore do not have full control over our schedules or our reliability. We have started to look for solutions outside of our system, asking what could be accomplished if the constraints were lifted.
The plan we developed – recently mentioned in the 2016 federal budget– is to build a dedicated passenger rail corridor (preferably on electrified rails) starting in the busiest Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor. This project that would lead to a reduction of 98% of GHG compared to our current (already reduced) emissions. It would make travelling by train so convenient, that conservative estimates show Canadians would make 5.5 million fewer car trips per year and that our ridership would triple. It would create thousands of jobs, stimulate the economy, increase property value and could potentially eliminate the operating subsidy given to VIA Rail by the government by 2024. Not to mention that it could be deployed within 4 years of being funded.
Press Secretary Brook Simpson, from the Office of the Minister of Infrastructure and Communities confirmed in April that, “[The government wants]…to support economic growth that is clean and inclusive. And our government believes that economic growth, social inclusion and a solid climate change agenda do not compete – they complement each other.” We couldn’t agree more.
n.b. This post is an abridgement of my Op Ed that ran in La Presse today. To read the whole piece (French only) click here.
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