The 2026 Spring Technical Meetings were held online and included 30 meetings with a total of 1,237 attendees. Among the many valuable technical discussions, this summary highlights key themes and emerging issues raised during the Council sessions.
Environment & Climate Change Council
Discussions highlighted higher infrastructure costs and reduced flexibility for context-sensitive solutions. There is interest in clearer guidance, better training, and policies that support responsible engineering judgement and innovation.
A significant discussion focused on the challenges transportation agencies face in keeping pace with evolving environmental regulations and approval processes. Members discussed the impacts of changing legislative requirements, permitting timelines, and multi-jurisdictional approvals on project delivery. The conversation highlighted the importance of maintaining in-house expertise, using environmental management systems to track regulatory changes, engaging regulators early, and providing implementation guidance and training when new requirements are introduced.
Members discussed how transportation organizations can strengthen Indigenous engagement and reconciliation efforts within environmental assessment and project planning processes. Findings from a national survey highlighted opportunities and challenges related to consultation, relationship-building, capacity, and the Crown’s duty to consult. The discussion emphasized the importance of sharing leading practices and supporting meaningful participation of Indigenous communities throughout project development.
Members discussed approaches to strengthening the resilience of transportation infrastructure through a case study presented by the BC Ministry of Transportation and Transit. The presentation demonstrated how risk-based planning, modelling, and mapping can help identify the most vulnerable segments of transportation networks, enabling agencies to prioritize targeted adaptation investments and make more effective use of limited resources. Members also explored how integrating climate resilience into infrastructure planning and financial decision-making can support more proactive and cost-effective management of transportation assets.
Members discussed how emerging technologies are changing environmental planning and assessment practices. The conversation explored advances in data collection, geographic information systems (GIS), and artificial intelligence, including opportunities to support environmental assessments and improve analytical processes. Members also considered the importance of professional oversight, workforce development, and ensuring that new technologies complement rather than replace professional expertise.
Infrastructure & Asset Management Council
Members emphasized the importance of effective asset management in supporting long-term infrastructure performance and investment decisions. There was also a strong emphasis on geotechnical assets specifically, including adaptation and resilience considerations related to those assets. Discussions focused on asset condition monitoring, lifecycle planning, performance measurement, and the integration of emerging considerations such as climate change, accessibility, and digital tools into asset management practices. Participants also shared experiences related to maintaining and improving infrastructure performance across different jurisdictions and operating environments.
Climate adaptability and sustainability emerged as recurring themes throughout the meeting. Members discussed efforts to incorporate climate considerations into infrastructure planning, design, and asset management, while also sharing experiences related to low-carbon infrastructure, recycled materials, and sustainable pavement practices. Discussions highlighted the need to improve infrastructure resilience while balancing performance, lifecycle costs, and environmental objectives.
A significant portion of the meeting focused on innovative approaches to infrastructure design, construction, and rehabilitation. Members discussed recycled asphalt pavement, sustainable concrete design, in-place recycling technologies, frost mitigation techniques, and other emerging practices intended to improve infrastructure performance and sustainability. The conversation highlighted the value of evaluating new materials and construction methods through applied research and practical implementation.
Members highlighted the important role of research, collaboration, and knowledge sharing in addressing infrastructure challenges. Discussions included ongoing research projects, emerging practices, and opportunities to translate technical findings into practical guidance for practitioners. Participants emphasized the value of collaboration among transportation agencies, industry, and academia to support continuous improvement and innovation across the sector.
Mobility Council
Members discussed opportunities to strengthen the committee’s work on emerging transportation planning issues, including revitalizing activities related to goods movement and freight planning. They also discussed evolving challenges such as congestion management and balancing competing demands across transportation networks. Members emphasized the importance of collaboration across jurisdictions to help practitioners respond to changing transportation needs.
Members discussed opportunities to better incorporate broader social, health, and equity considerations into transportation planning. They explored approaches to advancing equity within transportation systems and highlighted the importance of understanding how planning decisions affect different communities and users. The Equity & Health in Transportation Working Group provided an overview of its work and presented a proposal for a new project to develop guidance on scoping and budgeting for equity and health in transportation projects.
Members received an update from the Transportation Modelling User Group (TMUG) on emerging priorities identified through its national member survey. The discussion highlighted growing interest in artificial intelligence, big data, multimodal modelling, visualization, and new data sources, as well as the importance of knowledge sharing through webinars, collaborative projects, and practitioner networks. Members also discussed opportunities to document best practices for using large-scale transportation data and encouraged broader participation in TMUG initiatives.
Building on a presentation by ALTO on the Toronto – Québec City High-Speed Rail Network project, members discussed the increasingly important relationship between land use and transportation planning. The discussion explored topics such as transit-oriented development, complete streets, curbside management, goods movement, and community design, emphasizing the need for coordinated planning approaches. Members highlighted how stronger integration between land use and transportation decisions can support safer, more efficient, and more sustainable transportation networks.
Safety, Design & Operations Council
Council members discussed significant developments in legislation at both the federal and provincial levels. The newly established Major Projects Office (MFO) was highlighted, including its mandate, scope and initial transportation projects. Council members also emphasized their plan to work on strategies to enhance information sharing and engagement with federal and provincial partners.
Members discussed how transportation agencies are moving from adopting Vision Zero and Safe System principles to implementing them in practice. Preliminary findings from a national survey highlighted varying levels of maturity across jurisdictions and prompted discussion on integrating these approaches into planning, project development, and decision-making. Members emphasized the importance of measuring outcomes, sharing implementation experiences, and developing practical guidance to support continued progress toward safer transportation systems.
Safe speeds emerged as a key topic, alongside broader discussions about road safety planning, automated traffic enforcement, and identifying effective tools to improve safety outcomes. Participants shared experiences from different jurisdictions and highlighted the need for practical guidance as agencies respond to changing policies, expectations, and community priorities.
Members discussed how evolving mobility patterns, safety objectives, and user expectations are influencing transportation design practices. Topics included channelized right turns, innovative intersection treatments such as priority squares, active transportation facilities, pedestrian considerations, and updates to geometric design guidance. Participants highlighted the need to continually evaluate and refine design approaches to ensure transportation infrastructure can safely accommodate a wider range of users while supporting operational and mobility objectives.
Members highlighted TAC’s continued investment in technical guidance, training, and knowledge sharing to support transportation practitioners across Canada. Discussions focused on the launch of the Foundations of Road Design course, expansion of the webinar and learning program, and ongoing updates to technical guidance and publications. Members recognized the importance of providing practical resources that help practitioners apply current guidance and respond to evolving transportation practice.
Technology Council
Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the Council’s most significant areas of interest. Members discussed how the conversation is evolving from understanding AI to identifying practical applications that support transportation planning, operations, asset management, modelling, and decision-making. The discussion focused on understanding where AI can provide value, how organizations are beginning to apply it, and what emerging developments may mean for the transportation sector.
The growing volume of transportation data and the challenges associated with managing it effectively were recurring topics throughout the meeting. Members discussed data harmonization, governance, storage, analytics, and the need to transform increasingly large datasets into actionable information. Cybersecurity remained an important consideration as transportation systems become more connected and reliant on digital infrastructure, roadside technologies, and data platforms.
Members discussed a range of emerging technologies that are reshaping transportation systems, including connected and automated vehicles, drones, digital twins, advanced sensing technologies, and other innovations. The conversation focused not only on the technologies themselves but also on testing, validation, demonstration, and deployment. Discussions highlighted the importance of understanding how emerging technologies can be integrated into transportation systems and operations in practical ways.
The meeting reinforced the need for transportation organizations to remain adaptable as technology continues to evolve rapidly. Members discussed opportunities to broaden participation across jurisdictions and levels of government, strengthen knowledge sharing, and ensure that Council activities remain relevant to emerging transportation challenges. The conversation emphasized the importance of organizational readiness, collaboration, and continuous learning as agencies respond to ongoing technological change.
Workforce Development Council
Workforce development remained a central theme throughout the meeting. Members discussed ongoing recruitment and retention challenges across the transportation sector, while also highlighting the importance of attracting more students and young professionals into transportation-related careers. Conversations focused on outreach initiatives, partnerships with educational institutions, student engagement opportunities, and concerns about declining engineering enrolment. Participants emphasized the need to strengthen the talent pipeline and support workforce development at every stage, from early education through to professional practice and leadership roles.
Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the most significant discussion topics of the meeting. While members acknowledged the growing role of AI in professional practice, much of the conversation focused on its implications for workforce development and the future of professional expertise. Participants discussed the importance of ensuring that emerging professionals continue to develop critical thinking, technical competency, and sound professional judgment as AI becomes increasingly integrated into professional practice. The discussion highlighted the need for ongoing awareness, education, and professional oversight to ensure that technology enhances, rather than diminishes, the development of future transportation professionals.
A significant discussion focused on ensuring that education and professional development programs continue to evolve alongside industry requirements. Members explored accreditation, engineering technology education, professional certification, continuing education, and opportunities to strengthen connections between academia and industry. The conversation highlighted the importance of equipping graduates and practitioners with the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to respond to changing transportation challenges and emerging technologies.
The Council discussed the importance of creating a more inclusive transportation workforce and fostering diverse participation across the industry. Members explored approaches to advancing equity, diversity, and inclusion objectives within organizations and highlighted ongoing work related to Indigenous engagement.