Category: transit

Major Crime on Toronto’s Public Transit Up Despite Increased Police Presence

Initiatives introduced by the city of Toronto and the Toronto Transit Commission have done little to stop major crime on public transit and increase rider confidence, according to data shared by the city on June 12. Major crime incidents—defined by Toronto police as assault, sexual assault, robbery, shootings, and other violent crimes—were up more than…


Amid Ridership Struggles, S&P Dims Transit Outlook

Public transit agencies that can’t find new funding or make cuts could face a fiscal cliff, according to the latest report on the sector from S&P Global Ratings. The credit rating agency gave the public transit sector a negative outlook as challenges pile up for operators while they spend down more than $70 billion in…


Costs Surge as Transit Ridership Remains Below Prepandemic Levels

Transit agencies across the United States were still reeling from the COVID-19 pandemic in 2021. That’s according to a report released by the Federal Transit Administration that found ridership plummeted and transit agencies used federal COVID-19 funds to pay their bills. “Due to the COVID-19 public health emergency, ridership decreased 24.7 percent from 2020 and…


Russia Blames US for Kaliningrad Transit Restrictions

MOSCOW—Moscow’s foreign ministry on Friday blamed the United States for a Lithuanian ban on sanctioned goods crossing from the Russian mainland to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, which has increased already high tensions between Moscow and the West. “The so-called ‘collective West’, with the explicit instruction of the White House, imposed a ban on rail…


Inquiry to Hear Testimony on Ottawa’s Off-the-Rails Transit System

Hundreds of public servants and downtown workers trudged shoulder to shoulder down the sidewalk on the outskirts of Ottawa’s core on a dreary October 2019 morning, making an unexpected march to work. Laptop bags slung over their shoulders, the crowd followed the route of the newly opened Confederation LRT line where trains had come to…


Masking Will No Longer Be Mandatory on Public Transit in Quebec Starting June 18

Quebec is lifting its mask mandate for public transit on June 18. Health Minister Christian Dubé said today in a news release the decision was based on a recommendation by public health officials, adding that the COVID-19 situation in the province continues to improve. Masking will remain mandatory in hospitals, long-term care homes and other…


Hong Kong Bans Transit Flights From Over 150 Countries

HONG KONG—Hong Kong International Airport said it will ban transit passengers from 150 countries and territories starting Sunday, tightening stringent travel controls. Authorities also said Friday they will extend social distancing restrictions, including a ban on dining in after 6 p.m., by another two weeks over the Lunar New Year holidays to Feb. 3. Large-scale…


In Building Transit Projects, Canada Should Aim for Practicality Not Grandiosity

Commentary As a general rule, if you see a shiny new transit megaproject approaching your town, you should get into a private automobile and drive slowly away. But Canadians should hit the gas hard, because even in a world where politicians and contractors manage to overestimate benefits and underestimate costs with uncanny precision, we are…


Why Canada Gets Less for More When It Comes to Building Transit

OTTAWA—In early September, Conservative candidate Jennifer McAndrew stood outside a suburban Ottawa transit hub in the battleground riding of Kanata−Carleton to make a major campaign promise. “A Conservative government will support and prioritize Phase 3 of the LRT extension right here to Kanata and beyond,” a smiling McAndrew said in a video posted to her…


Ford Says It Could Face $1.3 Billion in New Penalties in Transit Imports

WASHINGTON—Ford Motor Co said Thursday it could face up to $1.3 billion in penalties in a long-running dispute over import duties paid on Ford Transit Connect vehicles. The No. 2 U.S. automaker said after the Supreme Court declined to hear its appeal in 2020 that it paid increased duties for some prior imports, plus interest….