DISTIGUISHED FACULTY

CO CHAIR:

Steve Brown Manager – Rapid Transit Office City of Vancouver

SPEAKERS:

Zak Bennett

Senior Planner, Partner Planning TransLink

Matthew Boyd Director, Corporate and Strategic Planning BC Transit

Darshpreet S. Bhatti CEO Green Line The City of Calgary

Fiona Cochrane Assistant Vice President Infrastructure BC

Sharon Fleming Director, Calgary Transit City of Calgary

Lisa Gow

Executive Project Director, Broadway Subway Project Transportation Investment Corporation (TI Corp BC)

John Grottenberg Senior Planner, Special Projects Office City of Vancouver

Thatcher Imboden Director, CommUnity Development Sound Transit

Chris Jordan Manager Transit Service Design City of Calgary

Georg Josi Principal – Structural Engineering Dialog

Chris Mah Planner, Special Projects Office City of Vancouver

Ralf Nielsen

Director, Enterprise Sustainability TransLink

Josipa Petrunic CEO and Executive Director Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC)

Jennifer Podmore Russell Vice President/Special Advisor Rennie Group

Jeff Spruston Project Co Representative Broadway Subway Project Corporation, Acciona-Ghella Partnership

It is a great way to hear what is happening around the country and some different approaches from the US. It is nice to have a continuum of projects from start to finish and [learn] the successes and challenges. – GM Engineering, City of Surrey

Very good speakers and content. Venue was very good too and good size.

– Manager, Rapid Transit Office, City of Vancouver

This conference exceeded my expectations to the 110% level.

– Light Rail Program Director, Transdev Canada

8:00 Registration, Refreshments and Pre-Conference Meet-n-Greet

9:00

Opening Remarks from the Conference Co-Chairs

Microphone-alt Steve Brown, Manager - Rapid Transit Office, City of Vancouver

9:15 Panel

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

Microphone-alt Matthew Boyd, Director, Corporate and Strategic Planning, BC Transit Sharon Fleming, Director, Calgary Transit, City of Calgary

• Evaluating ridership recovery since the pandemic

• Exploring opportunities to enhance service design/schedules to meet changes in customer demand

• Assessing solutions to the changing ridership and ways to pivot from the rush-hour market to off-peak and leisure use

• Managing shortfalls and gaps in revenue and exploring new avenues of funding and finance

• Understanding the new expectations of the customer experience

10:15 Networking Refreshment Break

10:45 PANEL

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

Microphone-alt Fiona Cochrane, Assistant Vice President, Infrastructure BC

Using examples from LRT projects this panel will discuss alternative procurement models and what they can offer.

• Exploring delivery models including Progressive design-build, Alliance Contracting and collaborative models

• Assessing 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 can owners facilitate different models?

• Examining the challenge of availability of a skilled workforce including experienced managers for major projects

• Examples of alternate models underway

11:45

Transit Project Progress And Lessons Learned

PART 1: Vancouver – Broadway Subway Project

Microphone-alt 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 2025.

• Project overview, benefits, and key areas of interest for the province

• Evaluating the latest developments and project schedule including key milestones and how the project is being constructed in a dense urban environment

• Understanding how the City of Vancouver is supporting the project through construction and planning the corridor for the future through street redesign, and green infrastructure

» Considerations for development near stations to support resiliency and climate emergency goals

• Progress on tunnel boring and elevated guideway

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

Microphone-alt John Grottenberg, Senior Planner, Special Projects Office, City of Vancouver

Zak Bennett, Senior Planner, Partner Planning, TransLink

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.

Additionally, we 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.

1:00 Networking Luncheon

2:00 TRANSIT PROJECT PROGRESS AND LESSONS LEARNED

Project Updates – Calgary’s Green Line LRT

Microphone-alt Darshpreet S.

Bhatti, CEO Green Line, The City of Calgary

Calgary’s LRT line is the largest infrastructure investment in the city’s history adding 46km to the existing LRT system, 28 stations and 240,000 passengers. Construction of phase one started in 2022 and is expected to continue for another for 5-6 years.

• Updates on Stage 1 of the planned 46km Green Line LRT Project - overview and benefits to the province

• Exploring how challenges are being overcome with the redefined procurement strategy and project timelines

• Examining key milestones, and next steps

2:45 Networking Refreshment Break

3:00

The Role of Bus Rapid Transit in Transit Development

Microphone-alt Chris Jordan, Manager Transit Service Design, City of Calgary

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

4:00

Electrification of Transit Fleets – Meeting the New Carbon Goals

Microphone-alt Ralf Nielsen, Director, Enterprise Sustainability, TransLink

Josipa Petrunić, CEO and Executive Director, Canadian Urban Transit Research and Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC)

This session will highlight recent developments in E-bus and Fuel Cell Bus innovations, autonomous vehicle shuttle pilot projects and what the future in this space might bring.

We will also provide updates on TransLink’s Climate Action Strategy (CAS) towards net-zero greenhouse gas emissions and a more climate resilient system by 2050. Hear what TransLink has identified to be the key investments and changes needed to meet their goals and how they are responding to the climate emergency.

• What are the key pathways to zero-emissions fleet and facilities?

• What are the key considerations in adapting infrastructure and operations to climate impacts

• What steps are we taking to support a more climate resilient region and a low carbon economy

• How do we change or advance our business practices, knowledge and funding landscape?

4:45 Closing Remarks, Conference Adjourns to Day 2

Day

9:00

Opening Remarks from the Conference Co-Chairs

9:15

Highlighting Lessons Learned and Success Stories from Other Regions

Using case studies from transit systems outside of Canada, this session will highlight lessons learned from other regions.

• Lessons learned from San Francisco’s Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) after 50 years

• What is the current state of the network?

• Plans for BART’s Transbay Crossing and proposed LINK21 project with Amtrak’s Capitol Corridor to connect San Francisco to Oakland and across Northern California

• Modernization and maintenance plans

10:15 Networking Refreshment Break

10:45

Exploring the Cost Drivers of Transit Infrastructure Projects and More Effective Ways to Build Transit Systems

Using in-depth case studies that take a closer look at variables like project management, governance, and site conditions this session will delve into the reasons behind the soaring costs of transit infrastructure in the US and Canada and recommendations for building more costefficiently to ensure a higher return on investment.

• Tracking domestic infrastructure costs against international transit projects

• Exploring ways to reduce the costs and maintain value

• Recommendations for efficiencies at the project outset

11:45 Networking Luncheon

1:00

Transforming Urban Spaces with Transit Oriented Development (TOD) – Housing and Transit Synergy

MODERATOR:

Microphone-alt

Georg Josi, Partner – Structural Engineering, Dialog

PANEL:

Chris Mah, Planner, Special Projects Office, City of Vancouver

City of Vancouver:

Ongoing work on the UBC Skytrain Extension to integrate development with transit stations, called station-integrated development, presents opportunities to advance objectives relating to affordable housing, but there are also conflicts and trade-offs. This presentation will address the technical, financial, and regulatory framework challenges that prevent urban integration of transit stations and development and examines how affordable housing can be provided at key transit nodes.

Sound Transit:

Discussion of approaches that to accommodate increased jobs and housing and integrate neighborhoods with transit in the Seattle region, including Sound Transit’s efforts to use its surplus property and joint development opportunities to support affordable housing outcomes.

2:00 Networking Refreshment Break

2:15

Indigenous Engagement and Transit - Connecting Transit with First Nation Reserves

This session will discuss planning and managing the region’s transportation system and the role this plays in advancing reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.

• Exploring plans for transit projects with First Nations and TransLink to connect with reserves in the region

• How to engage and balance with partnerships

• Managing the legal barriers

3:00 Closing Remarks and Conference Adjourns

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