Agenda
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Day 1
May 29, 2024
Federal Insights
Insights on Federal Government Transportation Infrastructure Priorities for Eastern Canada
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear from the Federal Government about their transit infrastructure priorities for 2024. They will also discuss drivers of funding, the transit needs of Canadians, and key priority project updates.
Municipal Insights
Understanding the Drivers behind Eastern Canada’s Municipal Transportation Infrastructure Priorities: A Mayoral Perspective
Councillor Jamaal MyersScarborough NorthChair of the TCC
Join us for this in-depth and practical panel featuring Mayors from several Eastern cities who will provide insights on concerns from their constituents about how urban transit infrastructure can contribute to transportation solutions for Eastern cities. Engage in topics such as funding projects, adapting timelines to accommodate priorities, listening to ridership concerns, and more. Points of discussion will include:
- Diagnosing municipal funding challenges and solutions for funding time sensitive Eastern transit projects
- Understanding how integrated planning for transit and housing can address the congestion concerns facing Eastern cities
- Envisioning what an accessible, livable, and clean city would look like and the role Eastern transit projects play in taking us there
Networking Refreshment Break
Eastern Canada’s Priority Transit Projects, Including the Ontario Line, Montreal’s REM, and Halifax’s Rapid Transit Strategy
Compton BobbSenior Project EngineerCity of Brampton
Marlon MerraroDirector of Diversity and CultureTTC
Uzay OzinceSenior Vice President, Transit-Oriented DevelopmentInfrastructure Ontario
Bjorn RadstromManager of Transit Service DevelopmentCity of Winnipeg
Industry, government, and legal authorities will provide project status updates and discuss recent developments in project delivery for Eastern Canada. This cutting-edge information can help align priorities across sectors to improve transit project delivery. Projects for discussion include the Eglington Crosstown LRT, the Ontario line, Montreal’s REM, and Halifax’s Rapid Transit Strategy.
- Assessing 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 Eastern urban transit projects
- Examining the success of the City of Brampton LRT Extension Study including lessons learnt and next steps
Travis AllanChief Legal & Public Affairs Officer FLO EV Charging
Alyssa ShivjiPartnerBlakes Law
Procurement is one of the essential puzzle pieces for transit projects to contribute to Canada’s Net-Zero goals. Designing net-zero heavy rail systems requires integrated project design and procurement planning. In this session, untangle how integrated logistics can accelerate the progress towards net-zero while also saving costs.
- Calculating embodied carbon in materials procured for transit infrastructure, and how to integrate embodied carbon into net-zero plans
- Fulfilling the knowledge gap around tools, challenges, and how to collaborate with suppliers for transit project delivery and on-time completion
- Integrating transit project design and procurement planning with carbon neutral objectives: how to merge objectives and work together
Networking Luncheon
Keziche Ikeka LLB, LLMSenior Manager ProcurementRoyal Canadian Bank
Magda SabatVice President Pre-ConstructionPomerleau Inc.
Increased project costs for materials and services due to global inflation are impacting project timelines and funding security for Eastern transit projects. Challenges associated with inflation such as organizational capacity, long-term planning, and stabilized funding continue to grow. Join us to brainstorm with urban transit experts to consider ways to increase funding for Eastern Canada’s transit projects in inflationary economic times.
- Examining policy levers to combat inflation and understanding how they are influencing urban transit funding
- Gauging the appetite for implementing mobility pricing to generate income for transit projects in an inflationary economy
- Case Study from New York City: The pros and cons from Implementing a congestion tax on North America’s largest urban transit system
- Appreciating how an agile supply chain strategy can cut costs and increase funding capacity for Eastern Canadian transit projects
Lee CaragialeTransportation Equity LeadHDR
Marlon MerraroDirector of Diversity and CultureTTC
Dr. Frederick PetersYork University
A successful transit project leverages infrastructure to meet the needs of the people. As population demographics shift across Eastern Canada, the motivations and barriers driving ridership are changing the business case driving demand. Unlock cutting-edge people management insights for refining and thinking the business case driving ridership and urban transit usage in Eastern Canadian cities.
- Examining new research on the factors influencing transportation choices and the public perspective on how transit can create livable cities across Eastern Canada
- Evaluating factors influencing the impression of safety and convenience on transit lines
- Learning how to leverage successful people management solutions across differing ridership populations and demographics
- Exploring the impact of first-and-last-mile transit planning on ridership trends and perception of trip planning ease
Networking Refreshment Break
Simon MinelliDirector Research, Technical Services & Industry Programs CUTA
Julia StefanishinaPartner and Senior Vice President Ernst & Young LLP
Transforming traditional infrastructure with transit and land-use integration is a key objective to reduce congestion in areas with urban densification across Eastern Canada. As cities continue to grow at a rapid pace, the integration of transit and land use planning becomes increasingly crucial for fostering sustainable, livable communities. In this session, we will delve into key topics surrounding transit-oriented development, community displacement, collaborative efforts between real estate developers, municipalities, and transit operators, aiming to explore innovative strategies and best practices to achieve synergy between transit and land use planning in urbanizing areas.
- Exploring the roles and responsibilities of key stakeholders in transit and land use planning, including real estate developers, municipal governments, and transit agencies.
- Understanding the social and economic implications of transit infrastructure development on existing communities, including gentrification and displacement.
- Discussing strategies for effectively integrating mixed-use development, affordable housing, and public spaces around transit nodes to create vibrant, walkable communities./li>
- Navigating the complexities of private vs public streets in densifying areas and the impacts of private infrastructure on transit planning
Vince Accardi, CAEPresidentOntario Motor Coach Association and Motor Coach Canada
Stephan MillerPolicy LeadTransit App
Matthew Di TarantoPublic Transit PartnershipsUber
Integrating modes of public transit to facilitate travel is a critical aspect of maintaining committed urban transit ridership and building a competitive advantage. In Eastern Canadian cities, multiple options for urban transit exist in city centers, but integrating with other modes of public transit is critical for accessing underserved areas. Join us as we explore how private and public organizations can work together to put systems in place to facilitate the convenient and seamless movement of riders across Eastern cities.
- Exploring how the province is supporting integration of modes of urban transit to address first and last mile transit solutions
- Promoting ride sharing as part of transit ridership strategies for underserved transit areas across Eastern Canada
- Utilizing third-party applications to streamline travel planning for Eastern Canadian urban transit riders
- Streamlining mass transit systems by matching service levels more closely to demand
- Exploring public transit in waterways and the potential of this newly explored market
Conference Adjourns to Day 2
Day 2
May 30, 2024
Refreshments and Networking
Andy ByfordVice President of OperationsAmtrak
Let’s welcome Andy Byford, VP of Operations at Amtrak. Prior to his role at Amtrak, Andy achieved renowned for his work on the London, Toronto, and New York City subway systems. Andy prides himself on understanding the “why” behind outputs for transit projects and finding the inputs needed to get commuters to where they need to go. Let’s strategize together in this session on how to apply global best practices to Canadian urban transit infrastructure.
BETTER TOGETHER: How the Use of Consortiums can Provide Solutions to Challenges in Transit Project Management
Josipa PetrunićPresident & CEOCUTRIC
Joshua StrubPartnerMargie Strub Construction Law
The transit infrastructure projects of today are exceedingly complex. Many key stakeholders are needed to ensure a successful project. In this session we will focus on how one consortium of leading stakeholders is managing Ontario’s largest infrastructure project.
Join us for a unique opportunity to hear directly from transit operators and other consortium member organizations on their successful execution of ambitious Eastern urban transit projects. We will also examine lessons learned and strategies that can be applied to other provinces and territories.
- Structuring partnerships that work: Understanding efficiencies and pain points from Canada’s first consortium of transit companies
- Designing strategic plans across multiple stakeholders, process design for smooth knowledge transfer
- Examining the impact of economy of scale on cost savings on large transit projects that can be applied across other Eastern Canadian transit projects
Networking Refreshment Break
Focus on Tech Integration
Innovative Digital Solutions: How Emerging Tech is Expediting Transportation Operations Across Eastern Canada
Naina DewanManager Innovation & SustainabilityTTC
Tyler SeedTransit Electrification Lead PowerON Energy Solutions
Matthew SladeVice President EllisDon
John StepovyDirector of Partnerships North AmericaBus Buds
- Discovering how digital solutions can facilitate timely and organized interactions with transit stakeholders and build organizational capacity by identifying inefficiencies
- Implementing new technologies into complex, multi-stage transit projects through strategic planning and change management strategies
- Uncovering change management strategies to facilitate rapid integration of new technologies to urban design processes for infrastructure projects
Focus on Tech Integration
Protecting Eastern Canadian Transit Systems from Cyber Threats: Best Practices for Transit Operators
Ryan R. ChambersPartnerAird & Berlis LLP
Protecting both transit assets and riders from cyber security breaches is an essential aspect of building resilient transit systems. As Eastern Canadian 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. Join transit and cyber security experts for an in-depth panel on cyber security threats facing Eastern Canadian transit projects and solutions from top industry experts.
- Formulating secure methods for Eastern transit operators for communicating and interfacing with customers, vendors, employees, and back-of-the-house systems
- Assessing breach risks for transit system organizations and exploring strategies minimize legal risks and securely store data
- Establishing a disaster recovery plan and framework for risk prevention and mitigation
Lunch Break
Focus on Tech Integration
Future on Track: Accelerating Transit System Design in Canada with AI Innovations
Jeff WalterDigital Consulting Lead- Canada AECOM
By utilizing AI, automation, and data analytics, organizations can achieve tangible improvements that lead to better service, reputation, and savings. AI can be the game-changer in transit project delivery, and in this session, we will explore the integration of AI in enhancing the efficiency, sustainability, and user experience of Eastern Canadian transit systems.
- Learning what you need to know about safely integrating AI into transit system design planning
- Articulating the risks associated with AI use and creating a check list of key considerations for project managers and urban designers
- Forecasting savings across transit design projects from utilizing AI automation and data analytics
- Envisioning the future: Forecasting the impact of AI on Eastern Canada’s transit systems in the next decade
Networking Refreshment Break
Focus on Tech Integration
Fare Integration – Building Synergy Across Eastern Canada’s Transit Systems
Josh ColleVice-Chair of Integrated MobilityCUTA
Facilitating smooth transactions across transit systems for riders is critically important in Eastern Canada’s densifying urban areas. As ridership increases into lesser serviced transit regions, the need to eliminate double fares with the TTC is a key priority for Ontario transit regulators. Learn how integrated fare systems can automate revenue collection and facilitate one fare payment. This session will focus on solutions that enable transit operators to facilitate smoother transactions with customers and stakeholders.
- Understanding how to integrate fares and automate revenue collection across different modes of urban transit available in Eastern Canada
- Examining how to eliminate double fares and encouraging riders to consider all forms of Eastern transit options
- Predicting the impact of free transfers for riders moving between GO and TTC transit systems
David CooperPrincipal & FounderLeading Mobility
Eastern Canadian transit systems have been facing safety concerns from riders in recent years. Implementing strategies to increase rail safety, both of riders and systems, is a shared responsibility across regulators and service operators. Technology, such as rail monitoring, can help us better monitor and design infrastructure for safety, and ease the concerns of our Eastern riders. Let’s explore:
- Understanding the impact of safety concerns on ridership and how technology can improve the perception of safety
- Monitoring technologies available for increasing transit security, such as prevention of trespassing, vandalism, and theft is one of the most critical priorities for railway owners and operators.
- Identifying the responsibilities of transit providers to ensure rail safety and data protection prior to implementing new technologies
Focus on Tech Integration
Big Data Analytics: A Breakthrough in the Field of Urban Transit Planning and Delivery
Brendon HemilySenior Advisor Transit AnalyticsLab (TAL)
Big Data Analytics can generate the statistics needed to inform evidence-based decision making in transit project design and delivery. Join us as we explore how to apply Big Data Analytics to improve the performance of future projects in Canada’s growing Eastern transit systems. Come prepared to ask your questions! Topics of discussion will include:
- Understanding how big-data analytics has enabled the collection of vast amounts of data and how this data has improved the efficiency and safety of Eastern Canada’s urban transit systems
- Exploring how big data analytics can be used to monitor traffic patterns, predict congestion, and optimize routes for public transportation
- Learning from other industries how big data analytics can adjust key policy decisions and ridership predictions to inform operational transit planning