Ontario Opposition Parties Should Embrace Toll Roads
– April 17, 2013
Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynn recently floated the idea of tolling Toronto area highways to pay for the region’s ageing roads and bridges. Opposition parties argue that this is merely a tax grab. In reality, road tolls are the best way to fight traffic congestion, and are a fair way to pay for roads.
Dr. Stephen Blank, Transport Expert
– February 7, 2013
Inhibiting cross border integration with the United States and with Mexico makes the economy generally less efficient and raises costs. It’s a trade barrier that is found in many places and it makes things move less efficiently, raises the costs, and it increases environmental load because you are running more empty vehicles around.
“Let’s all meet in Honolulu. It’s cheaper than flying home to Toronto”: the problem with Canadian air fares
– January 18, 2013
Canadians are crossing the border into the United States to fly from American airports because departing from Canada is much more expensive. In fact, Canadians make up over half of the passengers departing from some American airports near the border. This is a result of government policy.
A New Policy is Required for Air Transportation
– January 11, 2013
Annually, five million Canadians opt to cross the border and depart from U.S. airports when they fly, because they save on average $428 per person per round-trip. The Canadian government needs to facilitate and encourage competition in the air transportation sector or continue to lose to the U.S.
Media Release - High Canadian Airfares are Hurting Airports and Our Economy
– January 11, 2013
Canadians are crossing the border into the United States to fly from their airports because departing from Canada is so much more expensive. The tax portion of the Canadian air ticket is ratcheted up with hefty federal fees and taxes. The US sees air transportation as essential to economic growth, while Canada sees it as a source of tax revenue.
Calgarians Deserve Details on Swollen Project Prices
– December 21, 2012
Whatever the process for tallying up a $1.4-billion bill, the West LRT still ranks as an insanely costly project, at $190 million per kilometre of track, or $42,000 and change per estimated daily rider according to a review done by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.
Alberta Cannot Sustain a High Speed Train
– December 14, 2012
Alberta’s Minister of Transportation announced the government is looking into building a high speed rail from Calgary to Edmonton. In order to be profitable, high speed rail must connect highly densely populated areas and transport huge numbers of people each day, and Alberta could not meet these criteria.
Media Release - Massive Cost Overrun for Calgary’s West LRT Line a Reminder that Rail is Rarely as Cheap as Advertised
– December 10, 2012
Calgary’s West LRT line opened today. The project cost more than double the initial $700 million estimate. While the cost escalation is greater than occurs on average for urban rail projects, the reality is that the average North American urban rail project costs over 40 percent more than estimated, and garners 60 per cent less ridership than projected. Voters should be sceptical of rosy forecasts for light rail projects.
Think Tank Pushes Bus 'Brokerage'
– December 6, 2012
A new study by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy is urging Saskatchewan's government to convert its subsidized bus company into a brokerage.
Media Release - A New Model For Inter-City Busing Could Restore Services and Lower Prices
– November 30, 2012
Inter-city bus service is vital to rural Canada, yet has diminished throughout the country over the last few decades. The old model of cross-subsidizing unprofitable rural routes with profitable urban routes has broken down. The study recommends full liberalization of provincial inter-city bus markets, and the introduction of a least-cost subsidy system for unprofitable, socially desirable routes.
Inter-City Busing
– November 30, 2012
Inter-city bus ridership has decreased in Canada over the last several decades. However, the thriving curbside bus industry in the US and in Southern Ontario demonstrates that there is significant growth potential for a liberalized inter-city bus industry. While urban service would increase under liberalization, rural service would likely continue to decrease. To maintain rural ridership, provinces should create a system of least-cost subsidies to ensure that companies are willing to serve otherwise unprofitable, but socially desirable routes.
The Future for Transport to Canada’s North: Airships and Other Options
– October 19, 2012
PowerPoint slides which accompanied Barry Prentice's speech The Future for Transport to Canada’s North: Airships and Other Options that he gave in Winnipeg, October 9, 2012.
The Real Time Ridesharing Revolution: Half Time Break
– October 4, 2012
David Seymour evaluates his earlier prediction that ubiquitous smart phones will transform the taxi industry by analyzing the current market and regulatory environment.
Airport Policy in Canada
– August 23, 2012
Mary Jane Bennett argues that Canada should privatize its airports to reduce passenger loss to the United States and bolster our major airports as hubs of commercial activity.
Media Release - Time to Privatize Canada’s Airports
– August 23, 2012
High rents paid to the federal government have forced airports to increase landing fees to uncompetitive levels.
Drivers Falling into Old Cellphone Habits
– July 18, 2012
A little more than a year after New Brunswick brought in its distracted driving law, police say motorists are slipping back into their old habits of texting, talking and fiddling with electronic devices while on the road.
Don't be Distracted by Sketchy Statistics
– July 17, 2012
Enact a ban on distracting behaviours behind the wheel -- cellphones, makeup, eating, etc. -- and you'll create a safe-driving utopia. Simple as that, right? Not so fast. While proponents would like to suggest that a law will simply change behaviours, the reality is far different.
Real Road Danger: Discreet Texting
– July 16, 2012
A new study calls into question the efficacy of distracted driving laws that ban the use of cellphones while driving. The report, released Friday by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, provides further evidence that, not only are distracted driving laws ineffective, they might actually be doing more harm than good.
Failing to Make the Roads Safer
– July 13, 2012
This backgrounder argues that distracted driving laws do more harm than good.
Media Release - Distracted Driving Legislation Failing to Make the Roads Safer
– July 13, 2012
Consistent with the evidence from US states, the new Manitoba distracted driving laws appear to have made the roads slightly more dangerous, rather than less. The unintended consequence of these laws is that people find dangerous ways to hide their activities, rather than complying with the law. |
