Increased investments are needed to spur such usage, as transit service remains inadequate and inconvenient in many urban areas, particularly in our less compact suburban developments. Sustainable development is a national priority. And transportation is key to air pollution, climate change, and a range of other environmental and human health effects. It is therefore essential that the main piece of federal transportation legislation address these issues. The Canada Transportation Act should be amended to address urban transportation, and specifically to encourage the development and protection of public transit.
Canadian cities are the engines of our national economy.
Yet the vitality and attractiveness of our cities are under threat from urban sprawl, traffic congestion and air pollution. Individuals also experience these costs in different ways. Traffic volumes in Greater Vancouver increased at twice the rate of population growth between 1996 and 1999. Average commute times went up by one-third between 1984 and 1994. Nonetheless, the region is experiencing another 65 cars being added to the roads every day.