As many as 5,000 premature deaths a year in Canada are attributed to air pollution problems in our cities. Rates of asthma amongst children have increased significantly in our major cities. These are some of the true, full costs of automobile usage. Greater use of public transit would help reverse these trends and reduce these costs. 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.