1 February 2012
Past editions of EXPRESSions are available here in PDF format
CUTA Participates in ATU Conference
Earlier this week, CUTA addressed some 100 union delegates at a special Canadian Conference of the Amalgamated Transit Union in Toronto. The event included an address by CUTA President & CEO Michael Roschlau on policy challenges facing the Canadian transit industry in the context of Transit Vision 2040 and opening remarks by ATU International President Larry Hanley. The program consisted of strategic planning, ATU policy recommendations, labour law issues and international initiatives and was also attended by all Canadian ATU International Vice Presidents as well as Canadian Director Stan Dera.
For more information, contact Michael Roschlau at extension 104.
CUTA Meets With Ontario Minister of Transportation
CUTA representatives met with Ontario Minister of Transportation Bob Chiarelli late last month to discuss issues of importance to the public transit industry. The Chair of the CUTA Ontario Regional Committee Larry Ducharme, President & CEO Michael Roschlau, the Chair of the Ontario Public Transit Association (OPTA) Kelly Paleczny and OPTA CEO Norman Cheesman were part of the delegation. The hour-long meeting included discussions on provincial funding, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, performance review guidelines, as well as Transit Vision 2040, federal investment and potential future federal-provincial collaboration on transit policy development. Topics selected for discussion were prepared following consultation with the CUTA Ontario Regional Committee and OPTA.
For more information, contact Michael Roschlau at extension 104.
Call for Sustainable Technology Funding Applications
Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), a Government of Canada initiative that finances and supports the development and demonstration of clean technologies, recently announced its latest call for funding applications. SDTC supports late-stage development and pre-commercial demonstration of clean technologies by Canadian companies and is accepting Statements of Interest for funding from 22 February to 18 April 2012 for new, innovative technologies that help address climate change or promote clean water, land or air. The Statement of Interest is an initial application used for preliminary screening and is subject to a competitive review process by SDTC and a panel of independent experts. Applications are evaluated on the basis of their fit with SDTC's mandate, selection criteria, and the quality of technology, marketing and business capabilities. While applications addressing the challenges of Climate Change, Clean Air, Soil and Water are encouraged, SDTC's current priority areas include technology solutions that enable cleaner energy production and improved energy efficiency of the built environment, transportation and industrial processes.
For more information about SDTC's funding process and criteria, please visit the SDTC web site.
CUTA Participates in APTA Business Meeting to Explore Buy America Developments
Last month, CUTA attended the American Public Transportation Association (APTA) Business Member Board of Governors (BMBG) Meeting in Palm Springs California to begin discussions around possible changes to the U.S Buy America Act. Potential legislation to change the requirement for U.S. content in federally funded transit rolling stock could have a serious effect on the supply chain, manufacturing and procurement options for business members and transit systems on both sides of the border. CUTA Director of Marketing and Public Affairs Patrick Leclerc represented CUTA at the meetings and addressed the BMBG on issues of common concern. It was agreed that CUTA and APTA should collaborate closely in monitoring this issue and assisting to help achieve an outcome that is in the interest of members and results in a minimum of disruption to the existing supply chain.
For more information, please contact Patrick Leclerc at 613.788.7982
CUTA Strategic Research Projects
CUTA members are encouraged to consult the reports section of the Technical Services Committee of the member's only section of the CUTA website for detailed descriptions, including funding status and requirements, for the strategic research projects.
The following strategic projects have been develop with stakeholder input and suggestions: Canadian Code of Practice on Determining Eligibility for Specialized Transit, Forecasting demand for accessible transit services, Best Practices in the Accommodation of a Diverse Public on Public Transit, Best Practices in Use of Business Intelligence for Transit Service Development and Best Practices for the Electronic Provision of Transit Passenger Information.
For more information, contact Christopher Norris at extension 109.
CUTA's 2012 Webinar Series on Accessible Transit Issues Hosts its First Two Webinars
As part of an ongoing series about Accessible Transit issues, CUTA is hosting its first webinar of the year on Thursday 1 March 2012 at 1:30 EST. Sharon Doyle, York Region, will present on York Region's Family of Services. This presentation will explore the benefits of promoting the integration of conventional and specialized services while continuing to be respectful to the people it serves. Besides accomplishing cost efficiencies, the Family of Services promotes independence, inclusion, integration and self -sufficiency in a passenger.
The second webinar of the year will take place on 28 March 2012 at 1:30 EST on the topic of In person interviews as a tool to eligibility determination.
Registration space is limited, participants are encouraged to register early.
For more information and registration, contact Michelle Sawka at extension 113.
Hold the Dates - Annual Conference Planning Underway
Mark your calendars and plan to attend CUTA's Annual Conference from 26 - 30 May 2012 in Victoria, BC, being hosted by BC Transit under the theme Building Connections. Linking Communities. Presentation submissions are now being assessed for the program and will be publicized soon.
Workshop content on Mobility Management, Greening and Energy, Accessibility and popular roundtables on Labour Relations and Small Systems will be included on the program. The third annual Transit Leaders Seminar will be held for top level managers of transit systems on strategic management. The Bank of Canada will also be briefing delegates on its new bank notes and the implications for fare collection. In addition, City Tours, Technical Tours, the Hall of Fame golf tournament and several networking events are planned to enhance the conference activities.
Please book accommodations at the Fairmont Empress Hotel. Delegates are encouraged to book early as the room block is filling up fast. Conference registration will open in late February.
Watch CUTA's website for exciting conference updates and plan to be with us in Victoria!
For further information please contact Jyl Ashton Cunningham at extension 116.
CUTA Welcomes Grand River Transit to STRADA
CUTA welcomes Grand River Transit (GRT) to the STRADA community. GRT is the most recent system to join the 34 systems who have invested in the STRADA Bus Operator Recruitment toolkit. CUTA anticipates working with GRT to support them in hiring quality bus operators. The next STRADA User Group Meeting takes place 8 March 2012.
For more information, please contact John Moudakis at extension 121.
CUTA Welcomes New Business Members
CUTA is pleased to welcome five additional new business members. Recently joining the Association are Connectall Ltd. of Laval (Québec), NelsonNygaard Consulting Associates of San Francisco (California), RGS Consulting International of Coquitlam (British Columbia), Schaefer Inc. of Hopkinton (Massachusetts) and Ubisense Inc. of Greenwood Village (Colorado).
Connectall is a leading manufacturer of metal hoses for air conditioning applications, rubber hose assemblies for fuel, power steering, coolant and radiator especially made for public transit.
NelsonNygaard is an internationally recognized firm that is distinguished by the development of transportation systems that build vibrant, sustainable communities, offering one of the largest groups of transportation planners that focuses entirely on planning for transit and non-auto modes.
RGS Consulting provides a broad range of services such as management consulting, stakeholder facilitation, enterprise architecture planning, business process improvement, project management, system procurement and integration.
Schaefer specializes in solutions for on-board and trackside light rail applications, with a unique design and manufacturing which allows flexibility in power conversion for an endless combination of input and output voltages.
Ubisense provides visibility to transit terminal operations to eliminate the costly effort of locating, assigning or holding vehicles at the start and end of service or scheduled maintenance.
For more information, contact Rebecca Benaissa at extension 108.
