Public Opinion on Railroads

[Anonymous]

On Thursday, I was listening to the radio. The top story in the news was that a poll by the Railway Association of Canada shows that 90% of Canadian prairie residents believe that railroads are the most efficient and environmentally-friendly way of moving freight. It also said that most people want the government to put more money into railroads and have trucks pay the full cost of the damage they do to highways. A guy from CP said a few words on how good this is and how important CP is to Canada. They then mentioned that groups/individuals (no one specific mentioned, though) are looking to restore more passenger services to the prairies.

This is certainly very encouraging to hear! As for that other 10%, well, there'll always be a certain number of idiots wherever you go.

[locomutt]

That 10% must be the ones that go around crossing gates,and curse all the
time when they get delayed by a train.

[spankybird]

QUOTE: Originally posted by locomutt

That 10% must be the ones that go around crossing gates,and curse all the
time when they get delayed by a train.

With luck and time, the trains will win and elimate them [}:)][:D]

[Anonymous]

This poll only shows how ignorant the public is about transportation in general. First, consider the source of the poll, and you can conclude the questions were framed to reflect highly on railroads and poorly on trucks. The notion that trucks don't pay their fair share of highway costs is itself a simplistic rationalization, more attributable to whole rail vs trucks propaganda wars than any scientific analysis. Then you have the poll participants ostensibly wanting more government aid for railroads, which leads one to conclude that the poll participants are not even aware that railroads are not public entities but private entities, therefore not necessarily entitled to taxpayer subsidies in the same vein as public owned entities.

I expect a trucking association can come out with a similar poll, but one in which the questions are biased in their favor, and you'll end up with 90% of Canadians favoring more public aid for truckers. It just goes to show, most transportation issues are out of sight and out of mind to the general public.

[Anonymous]

And here in america is another story to it self.

[Anonymous]

Reminds me of the poll taken by a chemistry prof asking if emissions of dihydrogen monoxide should be banned. 90% of the respondents responded in the affirmative.

Just goes to show that the general public cannot respond intelligently on subjects which they are not up to speed.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Sask_Tinplater

On Thursday, I was listening to the radio. The top story in the news was that a poll by the Railway Association of Canada shows that 90% of Canadian prairie residents believe that railroads are the most efficient and environmentally-friendly way of moving freight. It also said that most people want the government to put more money into railroads and have trucks pay the full cost of the damage they do to highways. A guy from CP said a few words on how good this is and how important CP is to Canada. They then mentioned that groups/individuals (no one specific mentioned, though) are looking to restore more passenger services to the prairies.

This is certainly very encouraging to hear! As for that other 10%, well, there'll always be a certain number of idiots wherever you go.

Just out of curiosity, was that radio station part of the Asper family's CanWest group? I had heard that they were amongst the folks pressing for railway improvements in the prairies.

Also, is any major headway being made by the folks pressing for the disbanding of the Canadian Wheat Board so that prairie farmers would finally be able to sell their crops to whomever they please at market rates rather than forced to sell to the Canadian Feds at a discount? I understand that when, and if, that happy day ever occurs, a boom in cross-border rail grain traffic is expected. Since the Saskatchewan Party is heavily pressing for this, are they doing better in the polls these days against the Provincial NDP's? I understand that Stephen Harper's Federal CPC's would also like to get rid of the CWB?

Sincerely, Ross R. Moore, Jr.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by rossrobertmoorejr
Just out of curiosity, was that radio station part of the Asper family's CanWest group?

It was 800 CHAB from Moose Jaw. I think they've mentioned from time to time that they're part of the "CanWest Family of Broadcasting".

QUOTE: Also, is any major headway being made by the folks pressing for the disbanding of the Canadian Wheat Board so that prairie farmers would finally be able to sell their crops to whomever they please at market rates rather than forced to sell to the Canadian Feds at a discount? I understand that when, and if, that happy day ever occurs, a boom in cross-border rail grain traffic is expected. Since the Saskatchewan Party is heavily pressing for this, are they doing better in the polls these days against the Provincial NDP's? I understand that Stephen Harper's Federal CPC's would also like to get rid of the CWB?

I actually haven't heard anything about that in the news lately. It was a hot topic a while ago, but it seems to have lost some of its momentum since then. The last election was pretty close and I believe that the Saskatchewan Party is doing better now than they were before. Some are predicting that they'll replace the NDP in the next election. There was something happening a few months ago that had a lot of people thinking that the NDP would end up losing its power and having to call an election. I can't remember what it was now. I feel like an idiot because I should know this. It's going to be bugging me until I can think of it. Anyway, whatever it was, it didn't happen, so we've still got the NDP until the next election.

[daveklepper]

No, trucking does not pay its economic share of damage to highways and the environment and all reasonably careful and fair assenssments show that. The question is: Should it? "If you got it a truck brought it." is a true statement for most of us . We don't pay our own economic share for air or water, do we? Even most railroads are heavily dependent on trucks for many things. The question is: are the current arrangements fair? We can say the same thing about commuter railroad tickets. Or a public transit in general. It makes some economic sense to subsidize some economic activity because of general benefit the overall population, like rail commuters releaving highway congestion. Possibly if trucking costs to the shipper and consumer were reflective of true economic costs, the economic dislocations would be a disaster for many industries and communities.

[CSXrules4eva]

I agree w/ ya daveklepper on the issue that trucks don't pay for their fair share economiclly or envornmentally. Take my state PA for example they put strict laws on emissions inspection on spark-ignited (gas engine) vechicles but, there is no emissions inspection on on highway diesels (trucks). This doesn't make any since to me?/ I hate to say it but, diesels emmit more pollutants in terms of NOx, SOx, COx, HyCx (hydrocarbons), CO, particulates, and photochemical smog. I don't understand PA sometimes. This is the same in Delaware. So, I think they get away w/ alot since the government favors the trucking industry because of fast delivery, and door to door service. I also beleive the railraod industry is heavily dependant on the trucking industry but, so it the trucking industry on the railroad. Some trucking companys may not think so but they are. There is no way the trucking industry can move the amount of gross tonnage as railroad do. Can u imagine if the rail indusrty went away?// That would mean more polluted air, as well as more non point and point pollution. It would mean more conjestion on the highways, more government money going to build or extend highways because of increased traffic. This wouldn't work. You might from this also experience a loss of goods service traffic, and on time or fast delivery.

[Anonymous]

But its different in America because Canada is the reason its canada because of Canadian Pacific Railway and therefore is one of Canada's most valuable resources

[Anonymous]

Public Opinion on Railroads..........It's all about "Additude".