Urban Transportation Council News (Summer 2019)

Tuesday, June 18, 2019

In this issue:

Welcome from the Executive

The Urban Transportation Council provides a forum for governments and their partners in the private and non-governmental sectors to address a broad range of transportation issues related to urban areas through discussion, technical research, conference sessions, and more. The Council is exploring possibilities presented by new mobility services and vehicle technologies, while they continue to grapple with fiscal constraints and the need to both combat and adapt to climate change.

Meetings of the Council are open to all TAC members, and we especially encourage young professionals to get involved. We hope to see you at our next gathering on Sunday, September 22 in Halifax at TAC’s Fall Technical Meetings!

Council Chair: Sabbir Saiyed, Region of Peel

Council Vice-Chair: Lisa Salsberg, Access Planning

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2019 Spring Meeting Highlights

The Urban Transportation Council met in Ottawa on Sunday, April 7, with 36 attendees present. The Council received a presentation from Transport Canada on congestion measurement initiatives, as well as project presentations from Urban Design 4 Health on integrating health and transportation in Canada, and from WSP Group on understanding goods movement.

During the meeting, the Council discussed key issues including Vision Zero, pedestrian strategies, congestion management, electrification and shared use of vehicles. Emerging issues of the Council continue to include active transportation and health, mobility, goods movement and transportation planning.

The Council also heard from its standing committees. The Sustainable Transportation Standing Committee received a presentation on Vision Zero principles from TranSafe Consulting Ltd. and is conducting two volunteer projects, one on public engagement and one on best practices in bicycle facility regulation. The Transportation Planning & Research Standing Committee is conducting a volunteer project on estimating latent demand for active transportation. The Transportation Finance Standing Committee discussed the emerging need for the Council to put greater focus on activities related to new and shared mobility.

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2019 TAC-ITS Canada Joint Conference & Exhibition

The Council’s standing committees will host seven technical sessions at the upcoming conference in Halifax:

  • 2019 TAC Sustainable Urban Transportation Award Finalists
  • Best Practices in Urban Transportation Planning
  • Emerging Issues in Transportation: Examining the Public Interest in New Mobility
  • Innovative Solutions to Enhance Goods Movement
  • Integrating Health and Transportation
  • Transportation Demand Modelling
  • Quality Assurance for Traffic Management During Construction Projects

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TAC Awards

At its meeting in April, the Urban Transportation Council approved the following awards to be conferred at the 2019 TAC-ITS Canada Joint Conference in Halifax.

2019 TAC Individual Contribution Award
Richard Tebinka (WSP Canada) has volunteered on TAC committees since 1988, most recently on the Sustainable Transportation and Transportation Planning & Research Standing Committees. He has chaired technical sessions on the Sustainable Urban Transportation Award, and on parking at two recent TAC conferences. He has volunteered on technical projects looking at transit planning and public engagement, and has also reviewed scholarship applications for the TAC Foundation.

2019 TAC Sustainable Urban Transportation Award
The City of Ottawa’s Chapman Mills Drive Transit Priority and Active Transportation Corridor involved the proactive implementation of higher-order transit and cycling facilities in a new, medium-density, mixed-use neighbourhood. It included the planning, design and incremental construction of a two-kilometre dedicated busway in the median of Chapman Mills Drive, as well as the introduction of low-stress cycling facilities including cycle tracks.

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Publications Coming Soon

Two new publications arising from the work of the Urban Transportation Council will be available soon through the online Bookstore. Notices will be posted online when they are published.

Integrating Health and Transportation in Canada
Public health can be improved when transportation systems encourage the safe integration of physical activity into daily life. Furthermore, such an approach can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and congestion, as well as improve productivity and sustainability. Expected this fall, this new TAC publication explores current practices, identifies gaps, and recommends ways to strengthen health considerations in transportation planning, design and decision making. Get more information

Understanding Goods Movement: Trends and Best Practices
Despite the significant impact of goods movement on the road system and the economy, there is a need to raise awareness and understanding of how goods are transported in urban areas and how to best plan for goods movement. A synthesis of best practices is anticipated for release this fall, and subsequent learning events will be delivered by TAC. Get more information

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Projects in Development

Urban Transportation Indicators, Sixth Edition
This series of TAC projects tracks transportation trends in Canadian urban areas. The sixth iteration will use data on 35 metropolitan areas from the 2016 Canadian Census to build on previous surveys from 1995, 1999, 2003, 2008 and 2013. It will develop an electronic database and a comprehensive report with time-series analyses. The project has an estimated funding requirement of $225,000, which has been 18% met to date with two committed funding partners. Get more information

P3s – Lessons Learned from Major Transit Projects
This project will examine Canadian experiences with public-private partnerships for the construction and operation of major transit projects. It will identify critical opportunities and challenges for public agencies, and lessons learned from transit P3s with respect to risk management, project delivery, financing and project outcomes. The project has an estimated funding requirement of $145,000, which has been 50% met to date by six committed funding partners. Get more information

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Projects in Progress

Performance-Based Decision Making: Lessons Learned and Practitioner Toolkit
This project is examining performance-based evaluation, optimization and decision-making processes and techniques, and will recommend tools to support goals such as cross-asset optimization. Final deliverables are expected in 2021. Get more information

Compendium of Provincial Legal and Regulatory Approaches Supporting Bikeway Geometric Design and Traffic Control Practices
This volunteer project is developing a compendium of ways that Canadian legislation and regulations are enabling the implementation and operation of modern bikeway facilities. Get more information

Public and Stakeholder Engagement in Sustainable Transportation
Based on a survey of TAC members, this volunteer project will identify pressing issues, constraints and opportunities related to supporting transit, active transportation and transportation demand management initiatives through better engagement with the public and key stakeholders. Get more information

Methods of Estimating Latent Demand for Active Transportation
This volunteer project, initiated at the 2018 TAC Fall Technical Meetings in Saskatoon, will identify different approaches to quantifying the future demand for proposed walking and cycling facilities. Get more information

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