Urban Transit Infrastructure Symposium, Western Canada

Registration Opens and Continental Breakfast Available

Opening Remarks from the Conference Co-Chairs

Steve Brown
Manager, Rapid Transit Office
City of Vancouver

Jeff Doble
Director of Transportation Design Principal
Perkins & Will (Vancouver)

Keynote

Kaye Krishna
Deputy Minister
Transportation and Infrastructure
Government of British Columbia

Panel

Long Range Planning – Overcoming the Challenge of Shifting Ridership and Transitioning to a New Era of Transit Planning

Matthew Boyd
Director of Corporate and Strategic Planning
BC Transit

Sharon Fleming
Director, Calgary Transit
City of Calgary

Moderator:

Steve Brown
Manager, Rapid Transit Office
City of Vancouver

• Evaluating ridership recovery since the pandemic
• Exploring opportunities to enhance service design/schedules to meet changes in customer demand
• Assessing solutions to the changing ridership and ways to pivot from the rush-hour market to off-peak and leisure use
• Managing shortfalls and gaps in revenue and exploring new avenues of funding and finance
• Understanding the new expectations of the customer experience

Networking Refreshment Break

TRANSIT PROJECT PROGRESS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Part 1: Vancouver – Broadway Subway Project

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

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. The project is anticipated to open in 2026.

• Project overview, benefits, and key areas of interest for the province
• Evaluating the latest developments and overall 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, and green infrastructure
• Progress on tunnel boring and elevated guideway

TRANSIT PROJECT PROGRESS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Part 2: Broadway Land Use Plan and Supportive Policies Agreement (SPA)

Zak Bennett
Lead Planner, Major Studies
TransLink

John Grottenberg
Project Lead
City of Vancouver

The Broadway Plan is a comprehensive land use plan developed following full funding commitments for the Broadway Subway Project. This session will highlight the big moves in the land use plan and how the plan will support the rapid transit project.

Additionally, we will discuss Supportive Policies Agreements (SPAs) which are required for all new major transit investments in Metro Vancouver. The Broadway Subway SPA was the first of its kind and lays out the policies and plans outside of the scope of project delivery that the City of Vancouver and TransLink will create that will support the success of the project. The Broadway Plan was a key initiative identified in the SPA.

Networking Luncheon

TRANSIT PROJECT PROGRESS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Project Updates – Calgary’s Green Line LRT

Darshpreet S. Bhatti
CEO, Green Line
City of Calgary

Calgary’s LRT line is the largest infrastructure investment in the city’s history adding 46km to the existing LRT system, 28 stations and 240,000 passengers. Construction of phase one started in 2022 and is expected to continue for another for 5-6 years.

• Updates on Stage 1 of the planned 46km Green Line LRT Project – overview and benefits to the province
• Exploring how challenges are being overcome with the redefined procurement strategy and project timelines
• Examining key milestones, and next steps

Networking Refreshment Break

The Role of Bus Rapid Transit in Transit Development

Daniel Freeman
Senior Manager – Bus Priority Programs
TransLink

Chris Jordan
Manager Transit Service Design
City of Calgary

Ross Kenny
Assistant Director – Transportation, Engineering and Public Works
City of Victoria

This session will discuss considerations in the decision for BRT and provide lessons learned in delivering bus rapid transit.

• How to get more out of bus networks to improve travel times, reduce costs and increase ridership
• Assessing operational characteristics and customer experience (e.g. speed, reliability, comfort and capacity)
• Reviewing costs of capital, operations and maintenance
• How has ridership fluctuated before and after the pandemic?
• Broader impacts on the city, such as new development and the environment

Electrification of Transit Fleets – Meeting the New Carbon Goals

Chad Berndt
Director, Electrification Program
BC Transit

Titash Choudhury
Manager of Business Development and Social Analytics
Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC)

Ralf Nielsen
Director, Enterprise Sustainability
TransLink

This session will highlight recent developments in E-bus and Fuel Cell Bus innovations, autonomous vehicle shuttle pilot projects and what the future in this space might bring.

We will also provide updates on the Climate Action Strategy (CAS) from TransLink and BC Transit towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and a more climate resilient system by 2050. Hear what has been identified as the key investments and changes needed to meet climate 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?

Closing Remarks, Conference Adjourns to Day 2

Registration and Continental Breakfast

Opening Remarks from the Conference Co-Chairs

Steve Brown
Manager, Rapid Transit Office
City of Vancouver

Jeff Doble
Director of Transportation Design Principal
Perkins & Will (Vancouver)

Keynote Address

Kevin Quinn
CEO
TransLink

Panel

Transit Procurement and Delivery Models – Evaluating Alternate Delivery Models and What They Can Offer

Fred Antunes
Senior Vice President, Capture Management
SNC Lavalin

Fiona Cochrane
Assistant Vice President
Infrastructure BC

Darren Sokoloski
Vice President, P3 Advisory, Transportation
AECOM Canada Ltd

Moderator:

Lecia Stewart
President
The Stewart Group

Using examples from LRT projects this panel will discuss alternative procurement models and what they can offer:

• Exploring delivery models including Progressive design-build, Alliance Contracting and collaborative models
• Assessing the performance of the P3 model for transit projects; what has worked and what hasn’t – highlighting success, challenges, and outcomes
• What model is best suited for risk and reward sharing?
• How can owners facilitate different models?
• Examining the challenge of availability of a skilled workforce including experienced managers for major projects
• Examples of alternate models underway

Networking Refreshment Break

Exploring the Cost Drivers of Transit Infrastructure Projects and More Effective Ways to Build Transit Systems

Eric Goldwyn
Assistant Professor, Transportation and Land-Use
Marron Institute of Urban Management, New York University

Using in-depth case studies that take a closer look at variables like project management, governance, and site conditions this session will delve into the reasons behind the soaring costs of transit infrastructure in the US and Canada and recommendations for building more cost-efficiently to ensure a higher return on investment.

• Tracking domestic infrastructure costs against international transit projects
• Exploring ways to reduce the costs and maintain value
• Recommendations for efficiencies at the project outset

The Burnaby Mountain Urban Transit Gondola: An Innovative Solution to a Pressing Transit Challenge for the Region

Holly Foxcroft
Lead Planner, Major Studies, Transportation Planning & Policy
TransLink

Since 2009, TransLink has been exploring the concept of a gondola connection between the SkyTrain network and the top of Burnaby Mountain where Simon Fraser University is located. TransLink is now in the final stage of business casing for the Burnaby Mountain Gondola. Many of the lessons learned on this project are applicable to using gondola technology in an urban transit context. This session will provide an update on the Project’s:

• Benefits: 100% net-zero fleet conversion, improved daily and seasonal reliability, lower operating costs, reduced design and construction timelines, minimized environmental and archaeological impacts
• Design considerations: applying gondolas in an urban context, people moving capacity, transit customer experience, aerial based transit
• Unpacking a new technology with the public, stakeholders, First Nations, and decision-makers

How Important is it to Accommodate Land Use and Transportation Interactions while Predicting and Testing for Infrastructure Investment Decisions?

Dr. Mahmudur Fatmi
Assistant Professor, School of Engineering – Civil
University of British Columbia, Okanagan Campus

Exploring how transportation demand forecasting can contribute to more effective transportation and land use policies, infrastructure investment decisions, and decarbonizing the transportation sector.

This session will discuss an agent-based integrated transportation and land use model that considers the effects and changes in socio-demographics, residential location, vehicle ownership, in-home and out-of-home activities, and their impacts on land use pattern, travel time, emissions and energy consumptions.

Networking Luncheon

Transforming Urban Spaces with Transit Oriented Development (TOD) – Housing and Transit Synergy

Thatcher Imboden
Director, Community Development
Sound Transit

Chris Mah
Planner, Special Projects Office
City of Vancouver

Jennifer Podmore Russell
Vice President/Special Advisor
Rennie Group

Moderator:

Georg Josi
Partner
DIALOG

City of Vancouver:

Ongoing work on the UBC Skytrain Extension to integrate development with transit stations, called station-integrated development, presents opportunities to advance objectives relating to affordable housing, but there are also conflicts and trade-offs. This presentation will address the technical, financial, and regulatory framework challenges that prevent urban integration of transit stations and development and examines how affordable housing can be provided at key transit nodes.

Sound Transit:

Discussion of approaches that to accommodate increased jobs and housing and integrate neighborhoods with transit in the Seattle region, including Sound Transit’s efforts to use its surplus property and joint development opportunities to support affordable housing outcomes.

Networking Refreshment Break

Advancing the Millennium Line UBC Extension

Overview:

The Millennium Line UBC Extension SkyTrain project would complete the western extension of the Millennium Line to UBC and provide much needed transit capacity to this part of the region.

The City of Vancouver has endorsed a station within the Jericho Lands, the TransLink Mayors’ Council has endorsed a station serving the Jericho Lands and the Province is currently reviewing this previous work and defining the project parameters to move forward.

Given Vancouver City Council endorsement and Mayors’ Council endorsement of a station serving Jericho, this presentation will explore how this station could integrate with the Jericho development that is currently in the policy statement process.

Putting Safety First When Expanding Transit Systems

Dave Jones
Chief Officer
Metro Vancouver Transit Police

Patrick Koch
Manager, Risk, Analytics and Emergency Planning
Metro Vancouver Transit Police

The safety of transit users and operators is a top priority, particularly when it comes to planning for an expanded transit system. Transit authorities and those tasked with ensuring a safe journey on transit (police, security, etc.) must take into account each new station’s location and design (access points, lighting, security cameras, existing crime rates) and required resources to respond to public safety concerns from the recent rise in violence on public transit. Learn best practices and methods of preparation to improve rider and staff safety on public transit.

Closing Remarks and Conference Adjourns