Week 10, March 9: Walking, Cycling and Transit

This is one of the 26 segments of Guy Dauncey’s Climate Emergency: A 26-Week Transition Program for Canada. Excerpted by permission.

Transportation produces 174 Mt of CO2e emissions a year, accounting for 24% of Canada’s emissions. We need to reduce this to zero by 2040.

We will invite input to develop a National Strategy on Walking and Cycling, targeting the development of walkable cities and a walking and cycling modal share of 25% of all fair-weather trips in urban areas by 2030, 50% by 2040.
We will offer $1 billion to municipalities in 50:50 funding for Bikeway Infrastructure Grants. The average cost to build a kilometre of protected bikeway is $375,000, so the grants will enable the construction of 5,000 kilometres of bikeways a year, at a cost 100 times lower than an equivalent new roadway. Cost: $1 billion per year (#24)
We will make the purchase of bicycles, cycling accessories, and bus passes GST-free and tax deductible.
Where vehicle travel allowances are provided, we will work with the provinces to require employers to pay cyclists and transit riders the same allowance. Model: Holland, and other countries.
We will invite input to develop a National Transit Strategy, targeting transit-oriented development and a transit modal share of 15% of all urban trips by 2030, 30% by 2040.
We will allocate $2 billion a year to provide 50:50 funding for Transit Infrastructure Investments, on condition that all new buses are electric and local plans are in place for 100% electric buses by 2030. Cost: $2 billion per year (#25)
We will allocate $1.6 billion a year to pay for Free Bus Passes for people under 25. Cost: $1.6 billion per year (#26)