Agenda
Day 1
May 29, 2025
Registration Opens
Riccardo CosentinoSenior Vice President AtkinsRéalis
Jonathan EnglishFellow, Marron Institute of Urban ManagementNew York University
Brian ReillySenior DirectorCanada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)
Increased project costs for materials and services due to global inflation are impacting project timelines and funding security for transit projects. Challenges associated with inflation such as organizational capacity, long-term planning, and stabilized funding continue to grow.
This session will discuss innovative ways to increase funding for transit projects in inflationary economic times.
- Exploring alternative financing options, including public-private partnerships and value capture strategies, to secure stable funding amidst rising costs
- Understanding the role of policy reforms and effective advocacy in driving increased government support and investment in transit projects
- Examining a congestion tax to generate income for transit projects, where this has been implemented, and outcomes
Networking Refreshment Break
Pierre BarrieauLecturer, Transportation Planning and Urban Development Université de Montréal
Paul LanganFounderHigh Speed Rail Canada
Olivier MarcilVice President Communications & Public Affairs CanadaAlstom
This session will discuss the federal government’s planned high-frequency, high- speed rail megaproject that would build and operate dedicated passenger lines between Quebec City and Toronto.
Transit Project Progress and Lessons Learned: Status Report on Major Transit Projects in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic
Shery CherianPrincipal, Regional Market Sector Lead, Transportation Architecture49 Inc.
Jay NathwaniPartner, Specialist in Construction Law Margie Strub Construction Law LLP
This session will provide project updates and discuss recent developments in project delivery for major projects in Eastern Canada. Projects for discussion include the Eglinton Crosstown LRT, the Ontario line, the GO Smart Track expansion, Montreal’s REM, and Halifax’s Rapid Transit Strategy.
- Assessing the obstacles to deliver massive projects within a dense urban environment
- Understanding the partnerships needed to excel in project delivery and key trends in neighboring sectors
- Developing strategies to overcome project delivery barriers, such as funding and construction delays
- Collaborating to find solutions, build alliances, and share best practices for urban transit projects
Networking Luncheon
Richard BorbridgeTransit Expansion Division, Director for Program Planning City of Toronto
Matthew O’NeilManager, Rapid Transit CoordinationRegion of Waterloo
Municipal governance plays a crucial role in transit projects and design by overseeing public transit, active transportation, and local highways and roads.
While municipalities have the power to prioritize and implement transportation policies to promote sustainability and reduce congestion they need to collaborate with provincial and federal governments to create multimodal transportation networks that better serve transit riders and enhance urban planning.
- Seeking more successful collaboration by recognising organisational responsibilities and motivations
- Examining comparative questions: improving collaboration in technical reviews
- Developing governance and dispute resolution structures in transit projects
- Advice and processes to influence without authority
- Prescription-performance-partnership: hurdles of culture change through commercial models
Franck CastaingOntario Director Ingerop Canada
Raul GonzalezTechnical Manager Ingerop Quebec
Uncover how modern signaling and electrification systems improve railway safety and operational efficiency
- Understand adaptive technologies designed to withstand extreme weather and climate challenges in Canada
- Explore eco-friendly innovations in railway infrastructure paving the way to a sustainable
Networking Refreshment Break
Assessing the Development and Benefits of Bus Rapid Transit in Large and Medium-Sized Communities in Eastern Canada
Thiago CarvalhoSchool of Urban Planning McGill University
Paul JankowskiPresident York Region Rapid Transit Corporation
This session will highlight the implementation of BRT in Montreal, York Region, Mississauga, and London and provide lessons learned in delivering bus rapid transit.
- What have been the operational and perceived impacts of BRT implementation?
- Reviewing costs of capital, operations and maintenance; how does this compare to LRT? Assessing the effects of bus networks to improve travel times, reduce costs and increase ridership
- Broader impacts on the city, such as new development and the environment
How Transportation Network Companies (TNCs) Help Transit Agencies Build Better Connected Mobility Networks
Praveen ArichandranCo-CEO and Co-FounderArgo Corporation
Matthew Di TarantoManager - Public Transit PartnershipsUber
Closing Remarks, Day 1 Conference Adjourns
Day 2
May 30, 2025
Registration
Sarah MorrisonDirector, Capital Projects Group Metrolinx
Michael TraceyAlternative Delivery Director Kiewit
- Learn how collaborative procurement models can lead to improved project quality and efficiency by fostering strong partnerships and clear communication
- Explore strategies for distributing risks among parties to ensure better risk management and resilience throughout the project lifecycle
- Discover how collaborative approaches encourage innovative solutions and adaptability, enabling transit projects to respond effectively to changing circumstances and technological advancements
Networking Refreshment Break
Highlighting recent developments in E-bus and Fuel Cell Bus innovations, autonomous vehicle shuttle pilot projects and what the future in this space might bring.
- Unveiling the Brampton Transit Facility Expansion and Cadetta Johnson Transit facility with plans for an entirely electric fleet
- Examining Durham Region Transit’s strategy for their first battery electric buses, and their roadmap to a full fleet of zero emission buses
Strategic Planning to Transform Urban Spaces with Transit Oriented Communities (TOC) – Synergizing Housing and Transit
Uzay OzinceSenior Vice President, Transit-Oriented DevelopmentInfrastructure Ontario
Analyzing the impact of supportive (and not-so-supportive) policies on TOC development
- Investigating the effects of municipal processes on the successful implementation of TOC
- Highlighting the community benefits and emerging trends in TOC projects
- Transitioning from early-phase concepts to actual implementation, examining how “the rubber meets the road”
Networking Luncheon
Jeff WalterDigital Consulting Lead- Canada AECOM
Urban transport design faces numerous challenges, including regulatory constraints, economic pressures, supply chain issues, unexpected repairs, and significant upfront investments. Leveraging AI, automation, and data analytics can help with these challenges and lead to tangible improvements, enhancing service quality, reputation, and cost savings.
This session will delve into the transformative potential of AI in transit project delivery
- Master the essentials of safely integrating AI into transit system design and planning
- Identify the risks associated with AI use and develop a comprehensive checklist for project managers and urban designers
- Analyze potential savings in transit design projects through the application of AI automation and data analytics
Networking Break
With increasing ridership in less-serviced regions, eliminating double fares with the TTC remains a top priority for Ontario transit regulators. Discover how integrated fare systems can streamline revenue collection and enable single fare payments.
This session will highlight innovative solutions to help transit operators enhance transaction efficiency for both customers and stakeholders.
- Examining implementation and lessons learned from fare integration and revenue automation
- Exploring strategies to remove double fares and encourage riders to utilize diverse transit options in the region
- Assessing the impact of free transfers for riders transitioning between GO and TTC transit systems
Protecting both transit assets and riders from cyber security breaches is an essential aspect of building resilient transit systems. As cities continue to densify and transit system usage increases, the size and quality of data needing protection also increases, making the need for cyber security protections critical.
This panel will discuss the cybersecurity threats facing transit projects and solutions from top industry experts.
- Developing secure communications protocols to ensure secure interaction with customers, vendors, employees, and internal systems
- Mitigating and assessing breach risks and implementing strategies to minimize cyber threats and securely store data
- Creating a disaster recovery plan and establishing a framework for risk prevention and mitigation
- Exploring the importance of cooperation between transit operators, government agencies, and cybersecurity experts to enhance overall system resilience and security