MEDIA ADVISORY

Item date: 
November 18, 2011
Link: 
Transport Futures
Item context: 


Gaining public acceptance for mobility pricing:
Global transport experts and Canadian stakeholders to debate missing link to solving congestion and infrastructure woes

An influential transport economist from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and a German psychologist are among the high profile speakers at a forum examining whether mobility pricing can help solve Ontario’s ongoing transport infrastructure and congestion challenges. Transport Futures has invited key Canadian stakeholders to join with our international experts in a wide-ranging, non-partisan discussion on gas taxes, parking fees and road tolls, especially as these measures relate to public acceptance.

The rising socio-economic costs of traffic congestion, fraying road and transit infrastructure, a burgeoning population and constrained government budgets are leading many to shift their opinions on mobility pricing but broad public and political understanding remains elusive. Over 100 Transport Futures knowledgeable delegates, including many involved with Metrolinx’s plan to finance “The Big Move”, will learn new perspectives on addressing the main barriers to mobility pricing implementation: technology, equity, investment, governance and leadership.

Discussion will also form the basis of a strategy that will explicitly explain mobility pricing costs and benefits for government, businesses and the general public. This strategy will be used during a series of GTA community workshops to be coordinated by Transport Futures in 2012.

Who: Government, business, labour, academic and non-profit representatives, policy experts (see partial speaker list below) and citizens with an interest in sustainable transportation

What: Transport Futures Mobility Pricing Stakeholder Forum

When: Tuesday, November 22, 2011 – 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Where: Metropolitan Hotel (Mandarin Ballroom), 108 Chestnut Street, Toronto

Why: To foster a rational dialogue on how mobility pricing can help reduce gridlock, minimize emissions, decrease traffic accidents and pay for the transportation services we use

A few of the speakers at the Transport Futures forum will include:

  • Kurt Van Dender, Chief Economist, International Transport Forum at the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
  • Michael Fenn, President, Fenn Advisory Services, Senior Advisor, StrategyCorp and founding Metrolinx CEO
  • Jens Schade, Associate Professor, Dresden University of Technology, Germany
  • Teresa Di Felice, Director of Government & Community Relations, Canadian Automobile Association (CAA) – South Central Ontario
  • Gregory Thomas, Federal and Ontario Director, Canadian Taxpayers Federation

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The Transport Futures “Mobility Pricing Stakeholder Forum” is the sixth in a series of learning events staged by Healthy Transport Consulting (HTC) since November 2008. We are the only Ontario-based organization facilitating a rational and ongoing dialogue pertaining to a range of challenging transportation demand management measures and infrastructure funding mechanisms. More than 600 delegates from across Canada have heard cutting-edge research, case studies and best practices from over 40 international experts - all of which has contributed to the public discourse on the future of transportation planning in the GTA and the rest of Ontario. Transport Futures is spearheaded by HTC Director Martin Collier with the support of a range of corporate and non-profit partners, including 407 ETR, the Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario, CAA South Central Ontario, HDR Decision Economics, Siemens Canada and Sustainable Prosperity.

For more information, please contact:

Christopher Holcroft
Principal, Empower Consulting
on behalf of Transport Futures and Healthy Transport Consulting
416-996-0767
Chris_Holcroft@yahoo.com