It's time to explore transportation alternatives

Last week, it was evident that since the budget passed and provincial legislature wound down for the summer our politicians are free to think about the next election. According to the latest poll, Rodney MacDonald's Tories are sitting in third place. The Corporate Research Associates telephone survey pegged them on the bottom for the first time in six years.

Having survived the budget vote though, the Tories probably have another year to beat the drum. I understand they held a $500 a plate dinner in Halifax when federal Environment Minister John Baird was in town to act as speaker. Perhaps the war chest is filling up.

The Liberals, on the other hand, are following the lead of NDP leader Darrell Dexter. They are out talking to ordinary Nova Scotians -- although last week the party held their own fundraising dinner in Greenwich. Leader Stephen McNeil was continuing his campaign to make his face familiar by visiting municipal leaders and the L'Arche community locally.

I sat in when he and some caucus members met with a handful of Eastern Kings Chamber of Commerce members in Kentville. McNeil was candid about wanting to pick brains to develop policy and platform.

In response to his question about the biggest issue in the eastern Valley, chamber president Greg Young emphatically responded Highway 101.

Out of the loop

Young said the business community is waiting for an announcement about the twinning project as far as Coldbrook. He noted he'd heard the 'spin' on the Gateway approach and his members are left feeling cut off and in the dark. “It’s not coming this way. It’s Halifax, Truro, Sydney. It's not us.”

Digby MLA Harold ‘Junior’ Theriault pointed out that the 101 isn't complete yet and his colleague Wayne Gaudet noted that the federal/provincial agreement on highways expires next year.

Meanwhile, the Falmouth/Hantsport segment of the highway twinning is due to be completed this year, but the bottleneck at the Windsor causeway stands out in everyone's mind because of its unresolved environmental issues.

Young spoke about the railway losses the region has suffered since freight stopped running through to New Minas. He noted that the bridge infrastructure at key places like Blue Beach and the Gaspereau River bridge has not been maintained. Some Wolfville councillors are keen to open discussions, he added, about commuter rail service to Metro.

Overall, Young left the impression that the Tories don't want to talk about transportation. They don't have a strategy. Are all their transportation eggs in one basket?

Laena Garrison, who works with the transportation component of the Ecology Action Centre, says Nova Scotia’s funding for transit is significantly lower than in other provinces.

The average investment between 2003 and 2006 among the two provinces with populations closest in size to Nova Scotia’s, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, was $10.95 per capita; the average investment of all provinces, excluding Nova Scotia, during the same period was $19.87 per capita.

Against twinning

In 2008, funding from the provincial government for transit and community-based transportation, such as dial-a-ride, was just $3.79 per capita.

Yet the province is willing to spend more than $580 million on twinning highways. What about pumping some money into alternatives to driving, better community planning and sustainable modes like cycling, van pools or trains?

The Ecology Action Centre has been against twinning highways for some time. The plan to twin significant portions of highways from Yarmouth to Sydney by 2020, it contends, will cause more pollution.

Furthermore, researchers Stephanie Sodero and Transport 2000's Tim Crabtree say it is time to think about how to move large amounts of freight safely and energy efficiently through a modern rail system. This would help manage highway maintenance costs — one truck, due to its weight, causes the same amount of wear and tear as 10,000 cars. That is a truly weighty statistic.

Two years ago, it was estimated that Nova Scotia needs $4 billion to bring its existing roads and bridges up to standard. Road maintenance is already a huge issue for many in this province.

At the same time, we have a government that earned a C- in November for performance on planning to tackle climate change. I think it is time to stop looking at highways independent of environmental issues.

The MacDonald government should start listening to its more environmentally conscious electorate.