URBAN TRANSPORTATION SHOWCASE PROGRAM

The Urban Transportation Showcase Program is a key component of the Government of Canada's Action Plan 2000 on Climate Change The $40 million program calls for the creation of community showcase programs to demonstrate and evaluate ways of reducing greenhouse gas emissions from transportation and to address other urban challenges, such as air quality, congestion, safety and rising operating costs.

The program was developed in consultation with provincial, territorial, municipal and other partners in response to the 1999 Transportation Climate Change Table Report. The report identified a need for Canada to develop better planning and practices for transportation and land use. Eight municipalities have been selected to showcase their strategies for dealing with these urban challenges in a two-stage, nation-wide competitive process.

Under the program, the showcase proposals could include: transportation services, infrastructure investments, demand management initiatives, land use strategies, pricing strategies, public outreach and advanced technologies.

An independent selection committee, comprising seven members, was announced by the Transport Minister in July 2002 to review the expressions of interest submitted by municipalities. The members were chosen based on their expertise in the transportation sector. In December 2002, Minister Collenette announced the 15 municipalities selected for the second phase of the program. These municipalities were provided up to $30,000 in funding and given four months to develop and submit their detailed project proposals. The committee reviewed these 15 submissions and recommended to the Minister proposals from eight municipalities across Canada for implementation.

Public education and outreach is an important component of the program, and will include seminars, workshops and regular reports on the implementation and results of the showcases. This approach lays the foundation for communities to adopt best technologies and strategies across Canada by 2010. 

The Government of Canada Action Plan 2000 on Climate Change, which commits $500 million in funding over five years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, is expected to take Canada about one-quarter of the way to the greenhouse gas reduction target set by the Kyoto Protocol. 

Detailed program information is available on Transport Canada's Web site at www.tc.gc.ca/programs/environment/utsp/menu.htm.

November 2003