Saturday Canadian rail and coronavirus news:
— Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau views aid for Canada’s ailing transit systems as a responsibility of local and provincial governments rather than the federal government, he said during a Friday press conference. “Operation of transit is more of a municipal and provincial responsibility, and we hope to see provinces stepping up on supporting this essential element of the economic relaunch,” Trudeau said, as quoted by the Daily Hive website, “ … but the federal government is always looking to be a partner in helping out in terms of economic relaunch wherever we can.” The Federation of Canadian Municipalities and Canadian Urban Transit Association have asked for $400 million per month in federal aid to offset revenue lost to transit agencies during the coronavirus pandemic. Transit systems across Canada have announced service and job cuts. The Toronto Transit Commission is making service cuts of approximately 15% beginning Sunday and Monday, affecting more than 120 bus and streetcar routes as well as both main subway lines. Vancouver, British Columbia’s TransLink, however, announced Friday it is rescinding service cuts planned for May 18 and 1,500 layoff notices after the provincial government said it will work with TransLink on a “comprehensive solution” to the agency’s financial issues. TransLink had announced the layoffs and service cuts in April [see “Vancouver’s TransLink cuts service, staff, executive salaries,” Trains News Wire, April 21].
— Montreal’s transit agency, STM (Societe de transport de Montreal) is working to acquire masks it can provide to passengers as well as employees when Montreal begins emerging from its coronavirus stay-at-home order, but will only “strongly recommend” mask use rather than require it. STM will be buying 600,000 masks from a variety of Quebec suppliers, CTV News reports, but is still working out how to distribute them. As part of its gradual return to full service, STM reports Metro service is back to regular levels and bus service will reach normal summertime frequencies. “Although ridership is currently much lower than before the pandemic,” the agency informs riders, “service has been optimized to continue to minimize overcrowding and promote physical distancing.”
— Metrolinx, the parent agency for Toronto’s GO Transit, will require employees to wear masks as of the week of May 11 as part of its effort to slow the spread of the COVID-19 virus. CKTB radio reports the agency has previously installed plexiglas shielding on buses and in stations, and blocked off seats on trains to aid in physical distancing. The Toronto Transit Commission had previously required masks for bus and train operators. Neither agency requires passengers to wear masks, although the union representing TTC operators is asking the public to do so.
I am not sure what you are trying to say here. Canada has locked down firmly and held deaths to about 4,900 to date. The US population is about 10 times Canadian population so the US death total would be about 49,000 if American measures had been as effective. I think the US death toll is around 75,000 at present. The rate of infection is also clearly dropping across the country so the economy is slowly being opened up. Ridership on transit has been very low so service on TTC and Metrolinx has been pared back. With businesses starting to open up ridership should increase so requiring passengers to wear masks is appropriate at this time. Most of the places people might visit already require masks.
Technically the U.S. cannot default because it can always just print new money to make any payments. The question is what happens when people (here and overseas) suddenly decide the U.S. dollar is no longer worth much if anything? Remember Weimar Germany or Zimbabwe among others?
Toronto is way behind the ball, why even now?
Charles Landey,You might want to educate yourself about the Federal governments borrowing capabilities in relation to the national debt., etc.. If you don’t trust the source, maybe you just don’t think Warren Buffett knows what he’s talking about: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/warren-buffett-explains-the-simple-reason-why-the-us-will-never-default-on-its-debt-185105213.html Remember, Buffett built Berkshire Hathaway into what it is today and had the smarts to outright buy the BNSF, so try and keep an open mind.
Maybe Canada has a different system than we do. Maybe in Canda the provinces and the munis can borrow money, unlike is USA. Here only the feds can borrow money – with no limit and no thought on how the interest payments can be acrried ad infinitum.
To clarify, federal and provincial governments can run deficits, municipalities cannot.
The provinces can borrow, munis cannot Ontario is the largest non federal government in the world in debt due to 15 years of liberal government mismanagement
GERALD – Thanks for the advice. Nowhere in my post did I suggest USA will default.