Why a CUTA National Awards Program?

The CUTA Awards Program recognizes excellence within Canada's public transit industry. The CUTA Awards Program provides transit systems and business members with the opportunity to celebrate corporate accomplishments as well as the individual contributions and successes of employees and transit advocates.  CUTA's Corporate Leadership Awards increase positive corporate exposure and prestige by highlighting notable initiatives and advancements made by transit systems and business members. CUTA's Individual Leadership Awards boost morale and recognize the hard work, dedication and innovation of employees and industry advocates.

CUTA's members are showing leadership by setting ambitious targets to improve public transit in our communities. Ambitious plans, projects and initiatives are being developed with the aim of responding to the CUTA's strategic themes for Canada's public transit industry outlined in Transit Vision 2040.

Transit Vision 2040

In 2009, CUTA embarked on an initiative that involved the development of an industry Vision, framing a comprehensive definition of the role of public transit in Canada for a 30-year time horizon. Transit Vision 2040 identifies the key areas to be addressed by all CUTA members in order to realize this ambition. The strategy communicates transit's contribution to quality of life, the nature of change likely to take place in our communities by 2040, the implications these changes will have on transit, and strategic directions for actions that can maximize transit's contribution to our quality of life.  The strategic actions were grouped within several major themes:

o  Putting transit at the centre of communities through stronger government policy and decision-making frameworks, and better community planning and design.

o  Revolutionizing service in all types of communities through expansion and innovation so that transit systems can both encourage and serve growing demand for service as they keep pace with the changing face of cities and towns.

o  Focusing on customers and accelerating the delivery of flexible, integrated transit services that meet the needs of an increasingly diverse and discriminating clientele.

o  Greening transit to further reduce the industry's ecological footprint, improve energy efficiency and limit greenhouse gas emissions.

o  Ensuring financial health through enhanced transit infrastructure and operating investments by all orders of government, more progressive approaches to generating revenue, and new efficiencies in service delivery.

o  Strengthening knowledge and practice so that Canada's transit industry can more effectively respond to future opportunities and challenges.