From the Detroit Free Press:

Gov. Rick Snyder said today that he wants action in 2012 on his proposal for a network of high-speed busesalong major roads in metro Detroit.

Snyder also said he believes lawmakers will find a way to raise additional money for road and bridge repairs and improvements to rail and bus service statewide, despite a tepid response from the Legislature last week to his suggestion to raise vehicleregistration fees on Michigan drivers to pay for the state’s unfunded transportation needs.

Snyder made the remarks this afternoon at the Michigan Rail Summit at the Lansing Center, a gathering of rail advocates and elected officials from across the state as well as Obama Administration officials aimed at drumming up support for expansion of passenger and freight rail. Snyder spoke along with U.S. Deputy Transportation Secretary John Porcari at the summit, organized by the Michigan Environmental Council.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20111031/NEWS06/111031004/Gov-Snyder-address-Michigan-Rail-Summit-today

From the Detroit Free Press:

Gov. Rick Snyder said Wednesday that the state needs to spend more to repair roads and improve bus service, but he’s leaving it up to the Legislature and voters to decide whether to raise yearly vehicle registration fees to pay for the work.

Snyder suggested raising fees by from $40 to $120 annually per vehicle registered. Depending on the level, that would raise $300 million to $1 billion a year to help shore up the state’s crumbling roads and strapped bus systems. A recent bipartisan study found Michigan needs to spend $1.4 billion more a year to repair deteriorating roads, yet is losing ground as gas tax revenues plummet because higher prices have cut demand and newer vehicles use less gas.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011110270626

From the Detroit Free Press:

Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal for high-speed bus service on major routes including Woodward, Gratiot, Michigan Avenue and M-59, connecting downtown to key suburbs, Metro Airport and Ann Arbor, would be a huge boost for moving people to jobs at a crucial time in metro Detroit, the general manager of the region’s suburban bus system said.

John Hertel said the speedy buses wouldn’t undercut service provided by the Detroit Department of Transportation or SMART, the suburban bus system, or the proposed $550-million light-rail line on Woodward from downtown to 8 Mile that Detroit plans to begin building next year.

Instead, it would help stabilize bus service in Detroit and the suburbs, freeing up DDOT and SMART to focus on better service on other routes, and the more reliable, expanded services could boost ridership and public support for transit expansion, Hertel said.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20111027/NEWS06/110270628

From Canada.com:

A study into the feasibility of a high-speed train link in the Windsor-Quebec City corridor shows the project could benefit the entire Canadian economy.

The report conducted by the EcoTrain consortium — grouping Dessau, MMM Group, KPMG, Wilbur Smith & Associates, and Deutsche Bahn International — was released Monday by High Speed Rail Canada, an advocacy group which promotes the service.

The federal government has yet to release the study publicly.

“The taxpayers have a right to see it. We have posted it on our website. Canada is 30 years behind the rest of the modern world in passenger rail. It is a national embarrassment,” said Paul Langan, president of High Speed Rail Canada.

The fast train would cost between $18.9 and $21.3 billion depending on the chosen technology and yield revenues between $1.21 and $1.48 billion, according to the study financed equally by the federal government and the governments of Quebec and Ontario.

The study points out that the Quebec City-Windsor route would not be financially viable as a whole, but notes that the Montreal-Toronto segment, as well as the Quebec City-Toronto segments would benefit the entire Canadian economy, not just that of Ontario and Quebec.

The $3-million study looked at two high-speed technologies, one diesel train travelling at 200 km/h and a 300km/h electric powered train. Both would be suitable for the corridor, but the study notes the worldwide trend is the faster electric train.

The Quebec City-Windsor corridor would attract more than 10 million passengers in 2031 and serve the cities of Quebec City, Trois-Rivieres, Montreal, Ottawa, Kingston, Toronto, London and Windsor.

Source: http://www.canada.com/business/Study+says+high+speed+train+could+benefit+Canadian+economy/5561938/story.html

News release from Nordik Institute:

SAULT STE. MARIE, ON (October 25, 2011) – Ninety-five kilometers of rail that connect Northern Ontario to Ottawa, Montreal and the East Coast are slated to be torn up.

This rail is critical to Northern Ontario’s economic opportunities that depend on rail transportation.

Also, opportunity to develop passenger train service from Northern Ontario to Ottawa and Eastern Canada would be lost.

Serpent River First Nation hosted a meeting Saturday of EACMR (East Algoma chiefs, mayors and reeves), CAPT (Coalition for Algoma Passenger Trains), TPR (Transport Pontiac Renfrew), Transport Action Canada and regional provincial and federal politicians.

Rick Hamilton, mayor of Elliot Lake, chaired the meeting.

A ribbon of rail consisting of the Ontario Northland Railway along with underused and orphaned rail belonging to CN and CP has been identified as infrastructure that interconnects the communities, First Nations, people and businesses of Northeastern Ontario to Ottawa and Toronto as a foundation of socio-economic opportunity.

CP’s Mattawa-to-Pembroke rail that links to Ottawa is in abandonment procedures and scheduled to be torn up.

TPR described the process for saving the CN rail link and illustrated the impact of the Mattawa-to-Pembroke Rail link to the rail connectivity of Northern Ontario.

This is the last direct rail link from Northern Ontario to Eastern Canada.

If lost rail freight from Northern Ontario would have to be hauled 18 additional hours through Toronto to reach Eastern Canada resulting in higher costs.

For passenger trains there would be no possibility of taking trains from Northern Ontario to Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City and Halifax without first routing through Toronto.

Harry Gow, co-chair of TPR stated: “Canadian Pacific has started lifting the tracks between Pembroke and Smiths Falls, but there is still hope to save the line from Pembroke west, thus preserving Northeastern Ontario’s link for freight and passengers to Ottawa, Montréal and the eastern seaboard.”

“The Mattawa-to-Pembroke rail link is critical to economic opportunity for Northern Ontario,” says Hamilton. “Trains are efficient and cost effective all-season transportation for both goods and people that Ontario needs for our economy, quality of life and environmental responsibility” said Al Errington of CAPT.

“In a time of economic uncertainty and change, what we need is our various jurisdictions working together, coming from a position of strength. Tearing out infrastructure at this time is not only a step backward, it’s simply not prudent from a long-term planning perspective. Rail has been critical to northern economies for over a century and it will continue to be vital for years into the future. A Northern Growth Plan for this region of the province needs rail service to stay on track. In today’s competitive global economy rail is essential infrastructure,” says Chief Isadore Day of Serpent River First Nation.

The group of diverse interests and communities has committed to aggressively pursuing saving this critical rail link and promoting the expansion of rail passenger and freight opportunities for Northern Ontario through public education and political lobbying.

Trains and effective transportation options are important to the economy, quality of life and the environment.

The EACMR passed a resolution supporting saving the Mattawa to Pembroke rail link and will be contacting other municipalities throughout Northeastern encouraging their support.

Chief Isadore Day has been appointed as the EACMR’s delegate for this issue to upcoming municipal meetings on Ontario’s Northern Growth Plan.

The politicians in attendance committed to bringing the rail link situation to the attention of both the federal and provincial parliaments.

A feasibility study on a functional Northeastern Ontario Passenger Rail network will be fast tracked by CAPT.

Source: http://www.sootoday.com/content/news/full_story.asp?StoryNumber=54483