Room: International AB
Sponsor(s)
Session Description
We will explore this topic with three presentations:
Balancing customer expectations with budget realities-
Learn about London Transit’s experience preparing their Five Year Service Plan (2025-2029) when there are competing demands for service and limited financial resources.
A Vision-Driven Investment Strategy-
Understanding when a vision-driven investment approach makes sense, and when it does not. Identifying strategic initiatives which require improved transit service to operationalize. Developing defensible and pragmatic investment scenarios and targets.
The Grand River Transit (GRT) Business Plan-
This plan lays out transit investment priorities that will guide staff in planning and implementing GRT improvements to 2030 and beyond. GRT’s Business Plan consists of three main parts, supported by strategies for fares and transit technologies (Conventional Bus and Train Plan; MobilityPLUS and Kiwanis Transit Plan; Township Transit Strategy). The priorities for each part of the plan are detailed in this presentation and have been tailored based on extensive consultation with riders, staff from all Regional departments and each Area Municipality, community members, and partners across Waterloo Region.
Speaker(s) / Presenter(s)
Katie Burns – London Transit
A graduate of the Urban Development Program at Western University, Katie developed her passion for Transit Planning while participating in an exchange program in Sheffield, England during her last semester at University. Upon graduation, Katie started her career as a Transit Planning Technician with London Transit. With over 17 years of experience, Katie is currently the Director of Planning with LTC and continues to build a reliable transit network for Londoners.
David Forsey leads Arcadis’ Ontario-based practice in Multi-Modal Transportation Planning. He has 13 years’ experience consulting for public transportation systems, and has helped deliver service plans and business plans for clients such as the City of Brantford, the City of Peterborough, MiWay, Grand River Transit, the Town of Milton, the Hamilton Street Railway, and many other transit systems across Ontario.
Kevan Marshall, MES – Kevan is the Project Manager for GRT’s Conventional Bus and Train Business Plan. Kevan has worked on integrated sustainable transportation planning, policy development, infrastructure, and program portfolios in various roles at the Region of Waterloo since 2012. Kevan received CUTA’s Young Leaders Award in 2023.
Jeremy Cohen is a transit planner at Arcadis, helping governments and transit agencies plan more efficient, convenient, and successful transportation networks. He has recently been involved with long-term transit service planning projects for the Region of Waterloo and Town of Milton. Coming from an engineering background, he is a strong advocate for balancing both technical analysis and public policy to improve transit systems. His unique range of experience includes projects spanning across local buses, BRT, light rail, streetcars, subway, commuter rail, and high-speed rail.
Blair Allen, RPP, MCIP, MASc – Blair is the Manager of Transit Development at Grand River Transit (Region of Waterloo), overseeing the coordinated integration of the GRT Business Plan. Blair received the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA)’s William G. Ross Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024 in recognition of his significant transit planning contributions and dedication to enhancing public transit in Waterloo Region over a 36-year career.
Moderator(s)
David Cooper – Leading Mobility