Urban Transit Infrastructure Symposium, Western Canada

Registration, Refreshments and Pre-Conference Meet-n-Greet

Enjoy a face-to-face meet and greet with some of the speakers and attendees you’ll be networking with over the next few days. This is your chance to gain exclusive access to the expert faculty and get to know one another in a more casual format before the event gets underway!

Opening Remarks from the Co-Chairs

Steve Brown
Manager, Transit Integration and Projects
City of Vancouver

Bruce McCuaig
Senior Vice President, Canada Transportation Business Line Leader
AECOM Canada Ltd

Keynote

Opening Keynote Address

Honorable Rob Fleming
Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure
Government of British Columbia

City of Edmonton – New Approaches to Transit Procurement in a Post-Pandemic World

Jarek Karpiejuk
Director, LRT Infrastructure Projects
City of Edmonton

Terri Lucas
Commercial Manager, LRT Expansion and Renewal Branch
City of Edmonton

The City of Edmonton has continued to expand its LRT system throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Join us to hear the City’s recent successes and lessons learned from recent transactions. Topics of discussion include:

• Accelerate alternative delivery procurement
• Proactive, open and transparent industry and proponent engagement
• Rebalanced risk sharing mechanisms to ensure competitiveness and value for money
• A new model for Light Rail Vehicle supply procurement
• Use of standing open orders for miscellaneous and enabling works

Maximizing Ridership – How to Get Ridership Back Post-Pandemic

Matthew Boyd
Director of Corporate and Strategic Planning
BC Transit

The COVID-19 pandemic had a profound impact to transit ridership across the world. Hear what strategies BC Transit is taking action on to increase ridership in transit systems across British Columbia.

• Opportunities to enhance service design/schedules to meet changes in customer demand
• Understanding the new expectations of the customer experience
• Exploring opportunities to influence transportation mode shifts towards public transit

Networking Refreshment Break

The Winding Road to Getting Canada’s Public Transit Off Dirty Diesel: Best Practice Considerations for the Development of a Sustainable Public Transportation System

Ralf Nielsen
Director, Enterprise Sustainability
TransLink

TransLink has launched a Climate Action Strategy (CAS) that integrates climate action in the enterprise and sets out how it will move to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and a more climate resilient system by 2050. Hear about what TransLink has identified to be the key investments and changes needed to meet their goals and how they are responding to the climate emergency.

• What are the key pathways to zero-emissions fleet and facilities?
• What are the key considerations in adapting infrastructure and operations to climate impacts
• What steps are we taking to support a more climate resilient region and a low carbon economy
• How do we change or advance our business practices, knowledge and funding landscape?

Networking Luncheon

Phasing Transit Integration with Development

Michelle Lee-Hunt
Development Planner, Transit Integration and Projects
City of Vancouver

Holly Sovdi
Principal, Urban Planner
Urban Strategies Inc

Anita Molaro
Architect
AIBC
Regional Architectural Lead - Transportation
Architecture49
Assistant Director of Planning and Assistant Director REFM
City of Vancouver

Julia Stefanishina
Senior Vice President, Infrastructure Advisory
Ernst & Young Orenda Corporate Finance Inc

New major urban rail transit projects take years or decades to plan, meanwhile cities are not static entities and undergo change within the intervening time between project conception and realization. This session will focus on how municipalities contend with the phasing of urban rail transit integration within the built environment in an ever-evolving urban context. Lessons learned from Vancouver, this session will explore:

• Examining how municipalities approach connecting transit stations to existing facilities where redevelopment is contemplated
• Understanding the advantages of development integration and public realm enhancement opportunities arising from development interest while current planning programs are underway
• Determining a look into the future where new districts are planned

Networking Refreshment Break

Perspectives on Alternative Delivery Models from the Owner, Contractor and Designer

Fiona Cochrane
Assistant Vice President
Infrastructure BC

Jason Block
Alternative Delivery Director
Kiewit

Bruce McCuaig
Senior Vice President, Canada Transportation Business Line Leader
AECOM Canada Ltd

Thijs Teunissen
Senior Associate, Strategy & Transactions
Ernst & Young Orenda Corporate Finance Inc.

• What is the broad environment for post COVID infrastructure investment and delivery?
• When would the benefits to alternate delivery models be applied and will they replace P3?
• Evaluating the opportunities other delivery models can offer – such as, Alliance Contracting, IPD, Progressive Design Method
• How can owners facilitate different models?

Closing Remarks, Conference Adjourns to Day 2

Remarks from the Co-Chairs and Recap of Day 1

Latest Project Updates and Lessons Learned

Mobility-as-a-Service: The Shared Mobility Pilot

Camile Machado
Project Manager, New Mobility
TransLink

There are a wide range of mobility options in Metro Vancouver. However, the various mobility options operate independently, preventing efficient, integrated, and multimodal travel. Hear how TransLink are looking to achieve ‘Seamless Mobility’. Points of discussion will include:

• TransLink’s Open Call for Innovation – Understanding how public and private transportation services can work in collaboration to achieve seamless and multimodal mobility
• Scope, results and lessons learned from the Shared Mobility Pilot
• What’s next for the project?

Green Line – Overcoming Obstacles and Forging Ahead to Deliver an LRT System

Darshpreet Bhatti
CEO, Green Line
City of Calgary

• Explore how challenges are being overcome with the redefined procurement strategy and project timelines
• Explore the next steps of the project

Networking Refreshment Break

Project Update – Broadway Subway Project

Steve Brown
Manager, Transit Integration and Projects
City of Vancouver

Lisa Gow
Executive Project Director, Broadway Subway Project
Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp)

Jeff Spruston
Project Co Representative
Broadway Subway Project Corporation (Acciona-Ghella Partnership)

The Broadway Subway Project is a 5.7km extension of the Millennium SkyTrain Line. Despite the global pandemic the project is still anticipated to open on schedule by the end of 2025.

• Project overview, benefits and key areas of interest for the province
• Evaluating the latest developments and project schedule including key milestones and how the project is being constructed in a dense urban environment
• Understanding how the City of Vancouver is supporting the project through construction and planning the corridor for the future through street redesign, green infrastructure and considerations for development near stations to support resiliency and climate emergency goals

Networking Luncheon

Montreal’s REM – Progress and Next Steps

Jean-Marc Arbaud
President & CEO
CDPQ Infra

In the summer of 2021 Réseau express métropolitain (REM) project began its biggest work season to date on the new light metro system, under exceptional conditions due to the pandemic. Hear the latest developments of the project and projections for the future.

• Project Update
• COVID-19 and optimizations: Costs assumed, and performance targets maintained for the project partners
• Projected ridership – post pandemic context
• Financial Update
• Progress report on the test period

Networking Refreshment Break

The Role of Shared Mobility Public Private Partnerships Serving Transit Dependent Populations

Adam Cohen
Senior Research Manager, Innovative Mobility Research Group, Transportation Sustainability Research Center (TSRC)
University of California, Berkeley

This session highlights the growing role of on-demand mobility across North America, developments in mobility innovation; lessons learned forming and managing partnerships; and the role mobility partnerships can play serving vulnerable populations. Key goals of the session include:

• Highlighting the growing role and variety of shared mobility partnerships
• Enhancing public sector preparedness for mobility partnerships and ensuring equitable access
• Preparing for the transition to automated transit and shared automated vehicles (SAVs)
• Discussing the role of shared mobility and other innovations in facilitating first- and last- mile connections to public transportation and bridging gaps in the transport network

Navigating the Escalating Costs of Building Transit Infrastructure to Pave a Better Way Forward

Marco Chitti
Postdoctoral Researcher, Transit Costs Project
Marron Institute of Urban Management, New York University

Construction costs associated with building transit systems, especially subways and LRTs in Canada, are soaring above market rates around the world. This session will feature a discussion on reasons behind the escalating costs and recommendations for building more cost-efficiently to ensure a higher return on investment for projects. 

• Benchmarking domestic infrastructure costs against international projects
• How to reduce the costs without reducing the value
• Finding efficiencies to assist owners and contractors at the project outset
• Deciphering when the P3 model is appropriate or whether other methods should be considered
• Exploring how the Covid-19 pandemic is contributing to an increase or a decrease in costs of development

Closing Remarks and Conference Adjourns