Staff Report #4
November 28, 2018
To All Commissioners
Re: Public Transit Advocacy
Recommendation
The report be NOTED and FILED.
Background
The Ontario Public Transit Association (OPTA), in cooperation with the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) have advocacy at the Provincial and Federal levels respectively included in their mandates.
For the last number of years, CUTA has held a Transit Awareness Day event in Ottawa, which includes meetings between transit industry representatives and Members of Parliament and/or Parliamentary staff. On this day, CUTA members team up to meet elected officials and other key stakeholders who are shaping Canada’s urban mobility agenda and inform them about the transit industry and how to make the government`s investment in transit as successful as possible. These days have proven to be very successful in ensuring that government representatives are aware of the key issues facing transit providers across the country, and allowing transit experts to share knowledge with government to ensure that decisions being made that impact transit will be from an informed position. London Transit administration has participated in these events over the past number of years.
Given the success of the Transit Awareness Day events in Ottawa, OPTA has partnered with CUTA to undertake a similar initiative at Queens Park in Toronto on November 27, 2018. The event will consist of a morning meeting with a presentation outlining a number of key topics that have been identified by the Ontario transit industry as relevant for elected officials with respect to the current state of public transit operations in the Province. The morning session will be followed by individual meetings with Members of Provincial Parliament and staff where more in-depth discussions can occur. The topics that will be discussed include the following:
- general overview of the impacts public transit services have on the lives of Ontarians
- Gas Tax – A Vital Lifeline for Transit Systems
- Seizing the Moment: Ontario and Federal Transit Investments
- Remove Burdens Slowing Transit
- Protecting Ontarians from cannabis impairment in the workplace
The General Manager will be delivering the morning presentation at this event given her role as Chair of the Ontario Public Transit Association, and will also be participating in the meetings later in the day.
Enclosure
I – Transit Awareness Handout (OPTA)
Recommended by:
Kelly S. Paleczny, General Manager