Room: Mississauga AB
Sponsor(s)
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Session Description
Stream: Operations Stream
Moderator: Nicole Lysaght, Senior Manager – Finance, Data Analytics and Program Support, Durham Region Transit
1. Transit as a Social Determinant of Health
Speaker: Deborah Daniel, Program Manager, Community Engagement and Change Management, Durham Region Transit
American Public Health Association and Canadian Public Health Agency link transportation as a key SDOH. Both Associations highlight efficient public transit can improve access to employment, education, essential services, healthy food, social activities, recreational and health care. Likewise, research from Canada and Colombia stress that public transit can reduce inequities, increase physical activity, reduce social exclusion, and offer more independent and affordable mobility, even for rural, vulnerable and senior populations.
With this knowledge – what are we doing in Ontario to plan, measure and demonstrate how transit is a SDOH and the work we do improves the health and wellbeing of the population?
2. Challenges with Public Transit for Neurodivergent Individuals
Speaker:
Prof. Dennis Kar, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
Rifa Ali – Master’s Student, Urban and Regional Planning at TMU
Erich Moss
Khushpal Pawar – Master’s Student, Planning & Urban Development at TMU
Public transit can present several significant challenges for neurodivergent people, often leading to anxiety, stress, and avoidance of these systems. These challenges stem from the sensory-rich, unpredictable, and socially complex nature of transit environments, including sensory overload, unpredictable environments, including detours and demand-responsive services that can create change in routine, complex systems that can be difficult to navigate and crowding.
The Studio Project:
This project aims to develop and implement transit service standards and design guidelines that specifically address the needs of neurodivergent people. This is a challenging task given the complexity of transit and the competing priorities each system faces to achieve other goals.
The ultimate goal is to identify standards and guidelines that will help create a more accessible, predictable, and comfortable transit experience for this population, which will in turn benefit all riders.
3. Generative AI and the Future of Inclusive Transit Information
Speaker: Francine Garneau – OC Transpo
Generative Artifi cial Intelligence (Gen AI or simply AI) is transforming the digital behaviours and expectations of transit customers, who are increasingly turning to AI assistants for instant and hyperpersonalized information. Agency websites are shifting from the primary source of information to a source from which it is derived. The results provided by these tools pose two major challenges: They make frequent language prediction errors and provide users with incorrect information, known as hallucinations They are exclusionary by design and often unintentionally exclude members of equity-deserving groups
OC Transpo’s strategy proposes mechanisms to mitigate these issues, while leveraging the opportunities for improvement AI tools provide.
Speaker(s) / Presenter(s)
Bio: Deborah is a leader with over 15 years of experience who is passionate about advancing healthcare to new heights of excellence through innovative project and program management. Her expertise lies in spearheading initiatives that enhance patient care, drive quality improvement, and promote sustainable resource use while integrating health systems effectively. She is also dedicated to community engagement, contributing her skills and insights through volunteer work, committee involvement, and board positions.
Bio:
Dennis has over 24 years of experience in multi-disciplinary transportation projects and leads Dillon’s Integrated Mobility Service Line. His expertise is in transit planning, multi-modal transportation planning and mobility management, having successfully directed and participated in numerous studies across the country. He brings an integrated approach to his work, developing dynamic solutions that address mobility needs for various population groups, grounded through a comprehensive and interactive community engagement process.
Francine Garneau – Section Manager, Website & UX, OC Transpo
Bio:
Khushpal Pawar – Master’s Student – Planning & Urban Development, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
Bio:
Erich Moss – Master’s Student – Planning & Urban Development, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
Bio:
Rifa Ali – Master’s Student – Planning & Urban Development, Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)
Bio:
Moderator(s)
Nicole Lysaght – Senior Manager, Finance, Data Analystics and Program Support, Durham Region Transit