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Sustainable Transportation Brock University March 2008. CAA South Central Ontario. 1.7 million members Involved in public policy issues that are important to our members on a local, provincial and national level for over 100 years
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CAA South Central Ontario • 1.7 million members • Involved in public policy issues that are important to our members on a local, provincial and national level for over 100 years • Focused on improving personal mobility, safety and the environment
Advocacy • CAA Policy is based on research and member opinion. • We advocate on our members behalf on transportation issues that matter most to them.
Some Quick Facts • 2.6 million people live in Toronto • 1.2 million registered vehicles in Toronto (MTO) • 10.3 million registered vehicles in Ontario (MTO) • 8.8 million drivers in Ontario (MTO) • Ontario’s population - 12,850,600 (Stats Can 2007) • On a typical day, 16,575 drivers licenses are issued (including renewals) • 70% of Torontonians drive (U of T 2001 Transportation Tomorrow Survey)
Quick Facts cont’d • Accidents costs Ontario’s economy 9 billion dollars per year • congestion, insurance costs, police costs, loss of time at work • 300 million alone in health care costs
Allows the basic access needs of individuals to be met safely and in a manner consistent with human and ecosystem health, and with equity within and between generations. Is affordable, operates efficiently, offers choice of transport mode and supports a vibrant economy. Limits emissions and waste within the planet’s ability to absorb them, minimizes consumption of non-renewable resources, limits consumption of renewable resources to the sustainable yield level, reuses and recycles its components, and minimizes the use of land and the production of noise. What is sustainable transportation?
We are all concerned about... • ECONOMY • QUALITY OF LIFE • SAFETY • ENVIRONMENT
A growing population! By 2031, Greater Golden Horseshoe region is expected to grow by almost four million, bringing the regions population to over 11 million. The Right Policies All levels of governments need to be accountable. Government needs to implement the right policies to improve mobility, safety and the environment. Challenges
City of Toronto - Case Study • 1970’s the Gardiner Expressway and the Don Valley Parkway carried 60,000 vehicles per day. • Now they each carry approximately 180,000 vehicles per day. • 2001 University of Toronto Study (Transportation Tomorrow Survey) shows the modal split in Toronto as 70% driving, 30% transit
City of Toronto Policies • Transit on the shoulder of the DVP • Light Rail Transit on existing road infrastructure • Introduction of Tolls or “Congestion Charging” • Car Free Days • Cancellation of the Front Street Extension • No investment into the 300 million dollar backlog in road repair
CAA’s polices • Investment from senior levels of government • Supports a transportation infrastructure that includes the maintenance and development of roads and transit • Supported the creation of the Greater Toronto Transportation Association (GTTA), now Metrolinx • Supports the approach of Transportation Demand Management
$$$$$$ • CAA believes that the gas taxes collected each year should be dedicated to transportation infrastructure and improvements • In the year 2004, 7 billion in fuel taxes was collected by the provincial and federal governments • Only 1 billion was re-invested back into transportation infrastructure
CAASCO Survey Results • 96% of CAA South Central Ontario members support allocating a greater share of existing provincial and federal gasoline taxes towards transportation infrastructure “We must use all the money that is taxed or levied towards the automobile to be used solely for transportation infrastructure and make sure that is is made law. Let’s make it an election issue.” CAA member
Transit • CAA believes in transit improvements that don’t compete with existing road space • Support HOV lanes as long as it is new lane construction • Support subway construction • Two top transit improvement identified by CAASCO members were: • Bloor subway extension and Spadina-Yonge subway loop • Smart card • Car sharing and car-pooling
Tolls - 2007 Survey of CAA Members • Two-thirds of CAA members don’t believe that tolls will reduce the growing congestion problem in Toronto • Almost 80% of respondents would be most likely to change their route to avoid the toll if they had to pay a road toll to drive to work • If respondents had to pay a road toll in order to shop, over half would go elsewhere • If respondents had to pay a road toll in order to access entertainment, almost 50% would go elsewhere, while 32% would change their route to avoid a toll.
300 Million dollar backlog • City doesn’t budget enough money to maintain our roads • Financial burden to all taxpayers • Example: Intersection requires resurfacing at a cost of $50,000. The delay in adequate funding ends of costing the Toronto taxpayer $150,000 years later to reconstruct the intersection
The Environment “A car stuck in bumper-to-bumper traffic on an expressway emits nine to 10 times the air pollution of a car travelling at 90-100 km/h.” -U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
CAA’s Environmental Policies • Tax rebates for hybrid vehicles • Supports improvements in vehicle technologies • Tighter emission standards • SMART COMMUTE - Carpooling • Support construction of “new” HOV lanes • Investment into “Intelligent Transportation Systems”
To educate members and non-members on their driving behaviour and the impacts on the environment
Intelligent Transportation Services • 97% of CAA South Central Ontario members have identified ITS as their top road safety improvement
What is ITS • System that uses computers, communications and sensor technologies to assist and/or increase mobility for all road users • Improves safety and efficiency of different elements of the transportation system
Benefits of ITS • 1999 Toronto study found that ITS helped reduce travel time, traffic jams, fuel consumption and vehicle emissions • Also improved traffic safety by reducing left-turn violations by 71 per cent and rear-end collisions by 24 per cent • Ensures safer road operations
Conclusion • Our future depends on our ability to move people and goods • We need to focus on improving transportation in terms of timeliness, greater reliability, greater accessibility and affordability
