Canada is, by nearly all measures, a developed nation. I say nearly because trying to get anywhere in this great land without a car is a humiliation ritual — a stark reminder that when it comes to transportation infrastructure, we have unequivocally failed to live up to expectations.The same country that managed to construct a railway from coast to coast in record time — in the nineteenth century no less — now struggles to move past the concept stage on anything but the simplest of projects. Barriers are no longer towering mountains or raging rivers, but bureaucracy and refusal to dream big..BARBER: G20’s 1990s mindset meets a 2025 reality check.When our forefathers pounded in the last spike to connect both sides of the country, for example, there were hardly any people west of the Rockies. Nonetheless, the government knew the tracks would be integral to the success of all provinces and their future inhabitants.While there are still some forward-thinking players in Canada's transportation ecosystem, by the time their ideas are green-lit by the powers that be and construction begins, the projects are already outdated. Take the Alto "high-speed rail" line from Toronto to Quebec City. The federal government recently announced that ground will be broken in 2029 — nearly half a century after discussions began — and that when the first 200 km segment between Ottawa and Montreal finally opens in 2037, trains will hit speeds of 350 km/h. .Considering VIA Rail currently tops out at 160 km/h, that's definitely an improvement by Canadian standards, but one need only look beyond our borders to realize we're still playing bush league while other nations have gone pro.Across the Pacific in Japan, trains surpassed the 300 km/h mark ages ago. Over the past few decades, the high-speed rail network has consistently expanded, and now services nearly every region of the country.They're currently working on a project with a similar time frame as the Alto line: the Chūō Shinkansen. When the 285km segment connecting Tokyo and Nagoya opens in 2034, maglev trains will run at over 500 km/h. That's with current technology. Just imagine what will be commercially available in the decades to come..FLETCHER: Warning lights flashing on BC’s electric vehicle plan.Is it unfair to compare Canada's rail ambitions to those of a country known the world over as a leader in the field? Maybe. But then again, if we don't acknowledge what's possible, we'll forever resign ourselves to mediocrity. Even if the modern pioneer's dream of connecting Toronto and Vancouver with a train that can travel faster than a car pushing the speed limit on Highway 1 is ultimately deemed untenable, what about regional lines outside the feds' favorite corridor? Surely there's merit for routes connecting Calgary and Edmonton, Vancouver and Prince George, or Regina and Saskatoon?.Since the 1980s, politicians in Canada have responded to calls for a high-speed rail network by regurgitating the same tired, shortsighted arguments. It's too expensive, the country's too big, there's not enough people to make it commercially viable. Good grief.By that same logic, we needn't build a high school in a neighbourhood full of young families because their toddlers can't read yet.Canada's population is only going to continue to grow, and more people are going to need more ways to get around. Cross-country high-speed rail would almost certainly take years, if not decades, to turn a profit, but if the federal government is serious about wanting to "build Canada strong," they have to accept some short-term pain for long-term gain.Or we just need to find a billionaire who really, really likes trains — and wants to see Canadians ride the rails regardless of how fast it burns through his or her chequebook..JÄGER: Sydney is everything Vancouver could be.Perhaps before we try tackling long-distance trains we should set our sights on a more realistic target: public transit within metropolitan areas. Vancouver, Toronto, and Montreal all bill themselves as world-class cities, but their transportation systems pale in comparison to those of similarly proud places elsewhere on earth. That's not to say they haven't tried to step up, but time and time again they've achieved the aforementioned fate of too little, too late..Perhaps the only exception is Montreal, which should receive credit for the recently-opened Réseau Express Métropolitain, a fully-automated independent light rail line built at a fraction of the cost of similar projects across the continent.Just as Canadians thought maybe a new page was being turned in the country's dusty book of public transit, however, Toronto's Finch West Light Rail Transit line made its inaugural journey, and smacked us back into reality.The 10.3km line was constructed over a period of six years with the sole purpose of replacing a bus that ran the route in just over 30 minutes. Over $3.5 billion later, the highly-anticipated trains whisked passengers from one end to the other in 55 minutes. .To prove a point, a local runner raced the train from end to end — and beat it by 18 minutes.Among the issues was that the train did not have signal priority at certain crossings, and was forced to wait for cars turning left before it could continue straight. Forgetting to ensure trains have right of way over vehicles is a rookie mistake, and led to widespread ridicule online. Officials, including Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow, vowed to ensure better performance, but even their revised numbers were laughable.So it goes...We used to be a nation of builders, constantly pushing the envelope of possibility and moving literal mountains for the benefit of future generations. Were our current leaders in charge back when the Canadian Pacific Railway was proposed, I reckon we would have ended up with a glorified horse track.
