Urban Transit Infrastructure Symposium, Eastern Canada

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

Opening Remarks from the Conference Co-Chairs

Edna Cuvin
Program Director, Stations & Strategic Initiatives, Transit Expansion Office
City of Toronto

Michael W. Roschlau
Strategic Adviser
Public Transit and Urban Mobility
Former President and Chief Executive Officer (retired)
Canadian Urban Transit Association

PANEL

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

Ahmed El-Geneidy
Professor, Faculty of Engineering – Land Use and Transport
McGill University

Nicole Ratti
Manager, Transit Policy & Planning
Durham Region Transit

Dave Reage
Executive Director
Halifax Transit

Alana Tyers
Manager, Service Development
MiWay, City of Mississauga

Moderator:

Jonathan English
Fellow, Marron Institute of Urban Management
New York University

• Assessing ridership recovery since the pandemic for LRTs, subways and buses
• How has the focus on transit expansion shifted since the pandemic?
• Exploring solutions to the changing ridership and ways to pivot from the rush-hour market to off-peak and leisure use
• Given that office traffic remains low, exploring ways to attract non typical commuters to transit
• Managing shortfalls and gaps in revenue and exploring new avenues of funding and finance

Networking Refreshment Break

TRANSIT PROJECT PROGRESS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Tracking Developments on Montreal’s REM

Denis Rivard
Vice-President, REM Project
CDPQ Infra

• Progress of the REM one of the largest public transit projects to be undertaken in Quebec
• Status of the construction to date, challenges, and lessons learned
• Breakdown of the project costs and expected economic benefits

Update on the Region of Waterloo’s ION LRT – Moving Forward and Looking Back

Matthew O’Neil
Manager, Rapid Transit Coordination
Region of Waterloo, Transportation and Environmental Services

Almost four years since the launch of the ION LRT system in the Region of Waterloo, there is lots to celebrate, lessons that helped in growth, and a future expansion to plan.

The current 19 km ION LRT system runs from Conestoga Mall in Waterloo to Fairview Park Mall in Kitchener.

• What’s different about ION? Examining side-running operation, loops, and shared use corridors
• Lessons learned: P3 procurement, station access, pedestrian network, integrating local buses
• Recovery of ridership post-pandemic
• Investment and development along LRT corridor

Expansion of the ION Stage 2 is 17.5 km from Kitchener to Cambridge:

• Route planning around rivers, highways, and freight rail
• Converting six-lane arterial to four-lane, pedestrian-friendly, LRT corridor

Networking Luncheon

The Role of Bus Rapid Transit in Transit Development

Tamas Hertel
Manager, Service Planning
York Region Transit

Liza Sheppard
Vice-President, Project Implementation
York Region Rapid Transit Corporation

Jerry Che
Manager, Rapid Transit
City of Mississauga

This session will discuss considerations in the decision for BRT over LRT 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 does this compare to LRT?
• How has ridership fluctuated before and after the pandemic and are there lessons or implications for LRT?
• Broader impacts on the city, such as new development and the environment

Networking Refreshment Break

Electrification of Transit Fleets – Meeting the New Carbon Goals

Scott Gillner
Manager Transit Sustainability & Innovation
City of Brampton

Jessica Hanson
Project Manager: Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) Initiatives
Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC)

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

Brampton Transit key findings and lessons learned to date of Phase 1 BEB Trial, plans for Phase II Trials (BEB, FCEB, Conversions), and their electrification pathway for full fleet ZEB transition.

E-Mission Zero

Electrifying Durham Region Transit – Lessons Learned and Next Steps

Jonathan Chai
Transportation Planning Business Class Lead
HDR

Brian Reilly
Director, Investment
Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB)

Pri Uthayakumar
Program Manager, Sustainability and Strategic Initiatives
Durham Region Transit

Durham Region Transit’s E-Mission Zero is an ambitious and coordinated suite of emission-reducing initiatives to introduce a more sustainable network of vehicles, infrastructure and facilities over the next 25 years. Bringing new technology and smart infrastructure to Durham Region, this program is positioned to significantly reduce transit emissions, with a focus on healthy, sustainable communities for generations to come. This vision is a transformational breakthrough for DRT’s transit system.

HDR conducted a feasibility study, infrastructure assessment and fleet transition plan, positioning DRT for financing and funding support to achieve zero-emissions by 2037.

In this session, HDR will share lessons learned from the study while DRT will share plans for next steps on their journey to zero-emissions, including an initial pilot program, planning for Phase 1 of the fleet transition, and planning for a new, all-electric, net-zero carbon facility in North Oshawa.

Closing Remarks and Conference Adjourns to Day 2

Registration and Continental Breakfast

Opening Remarks from the Conference Co-Chairs

Edna Cuvin
Program Director, Stations & Strategic Initiatives, Transit Expansion Office
City of Toronto

Michael W. Roschlau
Strategic Adviser
Public Transit and Urban Mobility
Former President and Chief Executive Officer (retired)
Canadian Urban Transit Association

Keynote Address

Hon. Kinga Surma
Minister of Infrastructure
Government of Ontario

PANEL

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

Lisa Mitchell
President & CEO
The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships

Nick Shkordoff
Vice President, Transaction Legal
Infrastructure Ontario

Michael Tracey
Vice President
Kiewit

Moderator:

Thijs Teunissen
Senior Associate, Infrastructure Advisory
Ernst & Young LLP

Using examples from major LRT projects (Eglinton LRT, Ottawa LRT, Edmonton LRT) this panel will discuss alternative procurement models and what they can offer.

• Exploring delivery models and suitability of (Progressive design-build, Alliance, IPD and other collaborative models)
• Assessing alternative / progressive delivery models and how they can benefit future projects
• Evaluating 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 do stakeholders and utilities fit within the boundaries of the contract?
• Examples of alternate models underway

Networking Refreshment Break

TRANSIT PROJECT PROGRESS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Part 1: Vancouver – Broadway Subway Project Progress and Updates

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 on schedule by the end of 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
• Progress on tunnel boring and elevated guideway

TRANSIT PROJECT PROGRESS AND LESSONS LEARNED

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

John Grottenberg
Senior Planner, Special Projects Office
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.

This session 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

Strategic Planning to Transform Urban Spaces with Transit Oriented Development (TOD) – Housing and Transit Synergy

David Amborski
Director, Centre for Urban Research and Land Development
Toronto Metropolitan University

James Perttula
Director, Transit and Transportation Planning, City Planning Division
City of Toronto

Lorraine Huinink
Director, Rapid Transit & Transit Oriented Development
Regional Municipality of Durham

Kelly Skeith
Senior Vice-President, Transit-Oriented Communities
Infrastructure Ontario

• Understanding how municipal policy and planning review fit into the process of building transit-oriented communities
• Evaluating the status of transit-oriented development for Ontario
• Addressing the concerns surrounding higher densities and how the prevalence of working from home is shaping development
• Toronto housing crisis and its impacts on transportation & transit – identifying conflicts and opportunities for better alignment of housing and public transit programs
• Understanding the most efficient ways to integrate transportation and land use planning
• Determining the best ways to work with developers through land use conversations that enable working and living close to stations

Balancing Transit Design with Standards and Efficiencies for Better Integration into Communities

Emilia Floro
Director of Urban Design
City of Toronto

This session discusses the challenges of the ‘dark side of transit’ and how to balance the physical environment (separations, retaining walls, elevated guideways, trenches, and grades) with better design and acceptance into the surrounding community.

• Examining the public realm and how to design a more desirable transit corridor
• Balancing rights of way, emergency access, cars, pedestrians, cycle tracks, trees, and landscaping
requirements within the transit corridor
• Assessing the standards for retaining walls and evaluating landscaping and other design alternatives
• Best practices for integrating transit projects within the community and strategies for engagement

Closing Remarks and Conference Adjourns