Transport Futures

08/17/2024

Great news! Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada Parliamentary Secretary Peter Fragiskatos has accepted my invitation to participate at the GTHA Transit Summit on September 4. He will discuss leadership, evidence-based decision making, funding and intergovernmental cooperation with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow. This will be a very timely conversation given the federal government's new $30 billion Canada Public Transit Fund announced on July 17! Still a few seats left so be sure to register today @ https://transportfutures.ca/transit/register -- Transport Futures' Facebook friends receive a 15% discount using promo code FACE4!

07/22/2024

Transport Futures is proud to be hosting the GTHA Transit Summit in partnership with Toronto Metropolitan University's Ted Rogers School of Management and Urban Analytics Institute.

With the input of 20 politicians and industry experts as well as 100 delegates representing government, business, unions, academia and NGOs, the Summit will examine transit's many economic, environmental and social benefits with historical, current and forward-looking perspectives. We will then make recommendations so the future of Toronto transit is brighter than its recent past. Confirmed speakers include:
• Mayor Olivia Chow, City of Toronto
• Phil Verster, President & CEO, Metrolinx
• Josh Colle, Chief Strategy and Customer Officer, Toronto Transit Commission
• Doug Spooner, Transportation Commissioner, Waterloo Region/Grand River Transit
• Adrian Lightstone, Senior Vice President, Advanced Markets (Canada, UK, US), CPCS
• Murtaza Haider, Associate Dean, Toronto Metropolitan University
• Shelagh Pizey-Allen, Executive Director, TTCriders
• Ed Levy, Author, "A Century of Toronto Transit Plans, Projects, Politics, and Paralysis"
• Anne Marie Aikins, Principal, AMA Communications
• Amer Shalaby, Founding Director of Transit Analytics Lab, University of Toronto
• Chris Prentice, Senior Transit Consultant, Arcadis / Canadian Transit Heritage Foundation
• Michael Roschlau, Strategic Advisor on Urban Transit and Urban Mobility
• Jonathan English, Fellow, NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management
• Stephen Wickens, Principal, Toronto Transportation Research
• Marco Chitti, Post Doctoral Researcher, McGill University
• Steve Munro, Transit Activist and Blogger
• Andy Manahan, Principal, Manahan Consulting Services

Our interactive agenda includes a range of presentations and panel discussions which will be followed by delegate Q&A and advice. Further dialogue and networking will take place during breakfast, lunch and coffee breaks.

Be sure to register soon as seating is limited and low early bird rates end on August 8. For further details and sponsor info, see https://transportfutures.ca/transit. Don' t miss it!

06/27/2024

Tonight marks 5 years since the TF Subway Planning Forum took place in Toronto (https://transportfutures.ca/subway). We staged this event to analyze the $28.5 billion Subway Plan presented by Doug Ford and his Conservative government in April 2019. Several Tory ministers and MPPs declined our invitation to defend the rationale, timeline and budget of the four subway lines but transit experts, opposition parties and delegates who did attend were highly sceptical. And rightfully so as we now know the Ontario Line alone is $27.2 billion (partly due to major expenses being omitted from original estimate) -- almost as much as the 2019 budget for all 4 lines combined (https://lnkd.in/gk5NV_8z). Thanks to everyone who joined us 5 years ago and we look forward to seeing you again at the GTHA Transit Summit on September 4. More info coming soon!

06/17/2024

Looking forward to a great Transport Futures' cycling webinar with Albert Koehl today at 1pm ET. Tickets still available at https://transportfutures.ca/mc so register ASAP!

06/06/2024

Check out this great 1-minute video with Albert Koehl "pedalling" his new book titled Wheeling Through Toronto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_ZpEZXiurE. We'll discuss all the details and answer your questions during a Transport Futures webinar on June 17 @ 1pm. Use promo code TFAK8 to get 20% off registration fees and you’ll receive a 30% discount on Albert's book when you attend. You may even win a copy during our special Mobility Raffle! More info @ https://transportfutures.ca/mc

06/06/2024

I'm floored by NY Governor Hochul's last minute decision to stop NYC 's Congestion Pricing system from starting on June 30 ( https://lnkd.in/gQtitryE ).

I don’t like zone-based congestion pricing due to geographic equity issues and infrastructure costs -- dynamic area-wide road usage charging (RUC) is far superior. But this is still a huge setback on many levels: the time and energy of so many people over the last 5 years (17 years for those who also worked on 2007 proposal) along with costs of charging/camera tech installation. Plus RUC and other tolling systems that have been successfully piloted may see even more opposition at a time when we must manage traffic demand and generate revenues for road maintenance, complete streets and transit.

If Hochul was so concerned about affordability, she could have easily phased in the $15 charge. For example, start @ $5 which would at least test the system and drivers’ willingness to pay. Then increase it by $2.50 or $5 per year to eventually get to the $15 level.

Hochul’s unclear promise to instead invest in transit, solve congestion and improve the enviro without congestion pricing reminds me of former Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne when she and Steven Del Duca stopped John Tory’s DVP/Gardiner tolls in early 2017 ( https://transportfutures.ca/provtolls ). That is another bad memory which, combined with Doug Ford's antics, has set Ontario road pricing policy back for many years... Yet there is still hope than an RUC pilot here would demonstrate many benefits since the status quo is not sustainable. Details @ https://transportfutures.ca/projects

05/31/2024

Transport Futures had a phenomenal transit discussion with Jarrett Walker on Monday and now ready to learn the fine art of cycling advocacy and road safety from Albert Koehl on June 17. To celebrate the first week of Bike Month, we've extended the early bird rate for this insightful webinar until June 7. Use promo code TFAK8 to get 20% off registration fees and we'll provide a 30% discount on Albert's new book when you attend. You may even win a copy during our special Mobility Raffle! Details @ https://transportfutures.ca/mc

05/24/2024

Last call to hear Jarrett Walker discuss the revised edition of Human Transit and offer guidance to achieve successful public transit that will enrich any community. Your questions will be answered and you’ll receive a 30% discount on his new book, too! Late ticket rates for the webinar take effect on May 25 but you'll receive a 20% discount on regular rates if you register on May 24 using promo code TFJW8. Details @ https://transportfutures.ca/mc . I look forward to "seeing" you -- and learning with you -- on May 27 @ 3pm ET!

05/16/2024

June is Bike Month so on June 17 Transport Futures will be having an inspiring conversation about the past, present and future of cycling with environmental lawyer and author Albert Koehl. Check webinar details @ https://transportfutures.ca/mc/ and register using promo code TFAK8 for a 20% discount on our early bird rates until May 31. You may even win a copy of his new book, Wheeling Through Toronto!

04/17/2024

Transport Futures is very excited to welcome Human Transit author and international consultant Jarrett Walker to our first Mobility Conversation taking place on May 27!

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear Jarrett discuss the revised and expanded edition of Human Transit which was first published in 2011 to critical acclaim. Your questions will be answered and you’ll receive a 30% discount on his new book, too! Register today @ https://transportfutures.ca/mc/register to take advantage of “Early Bird” ticket prices – and please share this post with your transit colleagues so they can also learn from Jarrett. More details at https://transportfutures.ca/mc/

Thanks very much and I look forward to seeing you at Transport Futures on May 27!

12/22/2023

Thx to Grant Cameron at Daily Commercial News for great article on my recent mobility pricing conversations with Randal Thomas from RUC America (Dec 7) and David King from Arizona State University (Dec 14).

The need to reform parking requirements as well as the intricacies of adopting a system whereby motorists pay for distance travelled instead of forking out gas taxes at the pumps were two of the issues discussed by U.S. experts in the fields recently during separate online webinars on mobility prici...

12/22/2023

I've lost count of all the fine TF articles written by
DCN journalist Don since 2016 -- here's the latest on my mobility pricing conversations with Brendon Hemily (Dec 19) and Harry Kitchen (Nov 30).

After 15 years and 40 conferences, forums, webinars and debates, Transport Futures continues to raise the bar to ensure transportation decision-makers have the best and latest scholarship on mobility solutions. But as Transport Futures founder Martin Collier suggested recently in introducing the six...