Transport Committee on Sept. 28th, 2011

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

I agree. That's why I'm wondering, when you're analyzing a potential investment, whether you consider the relative cost in a given market of a passenger-kilometre for personal vehicle versus for public transit. By the cost, I mean the cost to the taxpayer.

For example, here in the city of Ottawa, if we have to move 850,000 people around to their place of work every day in Ottawa, and we're analyzing whether to proceed with a major public transit initiative—I'm speaking notionally right now, not about the project that's being considered—is there not a way to consider the relative cost of the two options to the government? What is that? Tell us about the comparison.

[Taki Sarantakis]

There is, except it varies according to the topography of where you're doing it. A rule of thumb is that a kilometre of highway generally costs you $1 million, but if you're doing it in the Rockies you throw that out, because it will cost you $30 million to $40 million a kilometre. If you're doing it in Kicking Horse Pass, it might cost you $80 million a kilometre. So really there is no general answer. It's very place-specific.

[Pierre Poilievre, Conservative, Nepean—Carleton, ON]

I'm actually not interested in the amounts. I'm interested in the relativity between transit and road. Do you know what I'm trying to get at here?

[Taki Sarantakis]

I do, and again, the relativity also depends, because there are different types of transit. A subway line could cost you $200 million, $300 million, or $400 million per kilometre. A light-rail line will cost you much less. A cut-and-cover will cost you much less. You have to deaggregate the public transit and speak about subway versus light rail versus bus.

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

With that, I'll thank our guests for being here. We appreciate your time and the time that we allowed you to be here.

For committee members, on Monday we will go back to witnesses. You'll get a notice in the next day or so. If there are any other witnesses you want, we're going through the lists and trying to contact these people, so if there are additions, let me know.

Monsieur Coderre.

[Denis Coderre, Liberal, Bourassa, QC]

When you are given a witness list, do you keep in mind that the Conservatives have witnesses, and that we and the official opposition also have witnesses? Or do you look at everyone's requests collectively? Do you respect the fact that each political party can hear from the witnesses it so chooses?

How do you select the witnesses?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

As you submit them, I vet them and try to be fair to everybody, making sure we have equal numbers. I'm not really interested in what side it is. I'm interested in getting the outcomes we're looking for.

[Jamie Nicholls, NDP, Vaudreuil—Soulanges, QC]

Do you need the contact information for witnesses?

[The Chair, Conservative, Merv Tweed]

We have most of it.

Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.