2024 CUTA Policy Forum

CUTA’s 2024 Policy Forum brought together some of North America’s leading transit and urban mobility experts to discuss the future of our industry. Maintaining cross-sector dialogue is crucial to keeping transit systems running and ready to adapt to change. As the national voice for the Canadian public transit industry, CUTA proudly hosts this annual event in our nation’s capital to help advance public transit policy, particularly at the federal level.

This year’s event focused on public transit’s contributions to economic affordability and productivity, regional coordination and integration, and transit’s role in addressing the state of zero-emission readiness across the public transit sector.

Program

Policy Forum event at the Hilton Garden Inn Downtown Ottawa (361 Queen Street, Ottawa)

8:30-9:00 – Breakfast and Registration

9:00-9:30 – Opening Welcome Remarks

• Marco D’Angelo, CUTA
• Renée Amilcar, OC Transpo | UITP Chair
• Senator Paula Simons | Alberta

9:30-9:45 – Keynote Address: Economic Impact of Transit on Affordability and Productivity

• Samuel Pagé-Plouffe, Vivre en Ville
• Councillor Jamaal Myers, TTC Chair | Ward 23 Scarborough North

9:45-10:30 – Panel: Affordability and Productivity

• Samuel Pagé-Plouffe, Vivre en Ville
• Councillor Jamaal Myers, TTC Chair | Ward 23 Scarborough North
• Sophie Le Blanc, Blaise Transit (Moderator)

10:30-10:45 – Break

10:45-11:00 – Keynote Address: Integrated Regional Coordination and Planning

• Dr. Jonathan English, NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management

11:00-11:45 – Panel: Integrated Regional Coordination and Planning

• Dr. Jonathan English, NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management
• Jin Wang, MTO
• Andrew McCurran, TransLink
• Maureen Cosyn Heath, HSR (Moderator)

11:45-12:00 – Presentation: Operational Funding Challenges

• Andrew McCurran, TransLink

12:00-1:00 – Lunch

1:00-1:15 – Remarks from Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada

• Parliamentary Secretary Chris Bittle (MP – St. Catharines)

1:15-1:30 – Safety and Security Remarks

• Hon. Bardish Chagger (MP – Waterloo)

1:30-1:45 – Presentation: Delivering Major Infrastructure Projects

• Vinay Sharda, VIA High-Frequency Rail (HFR)

1:45-1:55 – Break

1:55-2:10 – Keynote Address: Road to Net-Zero

• Dr. Marianne Hatzopoulou, University of Toronto

2:10-2:55 – Panel: Road to Net-Zero

• Ward McCarragher, APTA
• Christos Kritsidimas, Nova Bus
• Stephanie Laubenstein, New Flyer Industries
• Karen Cameron, OPTA (Moderator)

2:55-3:00 – Closing Remarks

• Marco D’Angelo, CUTA

Reception at the Wellington Building (180 Wellington Street, Ottawa)

• Room 310 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Speakers

Dr. Jonathan English

NYU Marron Institute of Urban Management
Infrastructure and Transportation Policy

Andrew McCurran

TransLink
Director, Strategic Planning & Policy

Renée Amilcar

OC Transpo
General Manager and UITP Chair

Paula Simons

Senator
Senate of Canada

Ward McCarragher

APTA
Vice President, Government Affairs and Advocacy

Stephanie Laubenstein

New Flyer Industries
Director, Sales and Business Development

Jin Wang

Ontario Ministry of Transportation
Team Leader, System Planning Office

Sophie Le Blanc

Blaise Transit
Head of Business Development

Maureen Cosyn Heath

Hamilton Street Railway
Director of Transit

Dr. Marianne Hatzopoulou

University of Toronto
Civil & Mineral Engineering Chair

Samuel Pagé-Plouffe

Vivre en Ville
Director of Public and Government Affairs

The Honourable Bardish Chagger

Waterloo
Member of Parliament

Chris Bittle

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure, and Communities

Hotel Accommodation

A limited number of rooms are available at the Hilton Garden Inn through CUTA’s room block for $289/night.