Hosted by Transport Canada and the 
Forum of Federations

June 28-30, 2004
Ottawa, Ontario

Acknowledgments

This event explored how different levels of government in other countries have cooperated to implement sustainable urban transportation. Participants learned from case studies of approaches from other federal countries that could be applied within Canada to help reach our sustainability objectives.

Over three days, 80 invited representatives of Canadian governments (federal, provincial and municipal), as well as non-governmental and sector organizations, exchanged ideas with guest presenters from the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, Brazil and the World Bank. 

This page provides summaries of the main workshop sessions on international case studies and links to further information.

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Table of Contents

The American Experience: Intergovernmental Approaches Under ISTEA and TEA-21

The European Experience: Integrated Mobility

Intergovernmental Collaboration and the Private Sector: The Australian and World Bank Experience

The Brazilian Experience: Leadership, Innovation and Results

Lessons Learned

Review of International Urban Transportation Policy Frameworks, Strategies and Governance Models

The American Experience: Intergovernmental Approaches Under ISTEA and TEA-21

Andy Cotugno (Metro Regional Services, Portland, Oregon) discussed the role of metropolitan planning organizations (MPOs) across the United States, with a focus on Portland. MPOs are broad-based regional stakeholder groups that coordinate, approve and prioritize spending of federal funds. As Portland’s MPO, Metro has a particularly strong history of integrated regional planning supported by political and public consensus about the need to tackle land use and transportation challenges. 

Tom McCall Waterfront Park in Portland Oregon. Former location of Harbor Freeway

Clive Rock (Director of Strategic Planning and Policy, Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority) briefly reviewed Vancouver’s experience in creating a regional transportation authority, and led an open discussion. Audience questions and comments revolved around land use and transportation coordination, MPO composition, and keys to success of the American approach. 

Skytrain in Greater Vancouver, British Columbia

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View Brigid Hynes-Cherin presentation:

PDF presentation (713.27Kb)

View Andy Cotugno presentation:

PDF presentation (2.8Mb)

For more information:

U.S. Federal Transit Administration

U.S Federal Highway Administration

TEA-21

The Transportation Planning Capacity Building Program

Metro Portland

Metro’s Regional Transportation Plan

Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink)

TransLink case study

The European Experience: Integrated Mobility

Bernt Hüsken (Region of Hannover, Germany) discussed the integration of land use and transportation in Hannover, with an emphasis on residential development and public transit.

Citaro G Bus in Hanover, Germany

Peter Scheidegger (Bern, Switzerland) discussed the reasons for Switzerland’s strong transit tradition, the governance and funding structures affecting urban transportation, and the “three pillars” of transit success (supportive land use, restriction of car traffic, and transit promotion). He also addressed the competitive approach to delivery of multi-modal transit services by government-owned agencies, and the use of use of votes at all three levels (national, regional, local) to decide to decide major transportation issues. 

Mutimodal connections in Switzerland

Emmanuel Le Colletter (Planning and Development, Agence métropolitaine de transport, Montreal) briefly reviewed the AMT’s role in providing integrated mobility in the Montreal region, and led an open discussion. Audience questions and comments revolved around the keys to Switzerland’s success in generating high levels of transit use and public support, and also focused on a recent proposal by the Swiss government to begin direct funding of local transportation.

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View Bernt Hüsken presentation:

Section 1: Context, Demographics, Governance and Development Plans (408.09Kb)

Section 2: Transit Network and Heavy Rail System (502.07Kb)

Section 3: Light Rail System (338.59Kb)

Section 4: Light Rail Continued and Buses (590.31Kb)

View Peter Scheidegger presentation:

PDF presentation (1.2Mb)

For more information:

Transport in Hannover

Transport in Bremen

Swiss government

Swiss federal Office of Transport

Agence métroplitaine de transport (Montreal)

Intergovernmental Collaboration and the Private Sector: The Australian and World Bank Experience

Melbourne New Model Tram

Helena Borges (Acting Director General, Surface Transportation Policy, Transport Canada) reviewed Transport Canada’s role in facilitating and fostering interest in public-private partnerships, and led an open discussion. Audience questions and comments revolved around the benefits of public-private partnerships and barriers to them, the potential for public-private partnerships to deliver congestion pricing schemes, and the integration of land use and transportation planning in Australia.

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View Paul Amos presentation:

PDF presentation (198.76Kb)

View John Stott presentation:

PDF presentation (4.0Mb)

View John Stott text:

View PDF text (163.19Kb)

For more information:

World Bank — Transport

World Bank — Public and Private Sector Roles in the Supply of Transport Infrastructure and Services (PDF file)

Australian Government — Transport Programmes — Public-Private Partnerships

The Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships

The Brazilian Experience: Leadership, Innovation and Results

Teresa Torres (Institute of Research and Urban Planning, Curitiba) discussed the past and future of Curitiba, a city of about three million people renowned for its progressive land use planning and innovative public transportation solutions. Curitiba tightly controls development in key transit corridors, using incentives to encourage high densities and mixed uses that complement its extensive bus-based rapid transit system. Curitiba is considered an international model for sustainable development, with the highest transit ridership among Brazilian cities (over 2 million passengers daily) and the country's lowest rates of ambient pollution and per capita gas consumption, while it also enjoys rapid economic growth and high average personal incomes. 

Bus stop in Curitiba, Brazil

Paul Bedford (former Chief Planner, City of Toronto) briefly reviewed opportunities and challenges related to a more sustainable Greater Toronto Area, and led an open discussion. Audience questions and comments revolved around the reasons for Curitiba’s continued success over several decades, and the sources of funding for its investment program.  


Buses used in Curitiba (Section Two of Curitiba presentation)

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View Teresa Torres presentation (PDF):

Section 1: Demographic Information and Planning Process (589.20Kb)

Section 2: Transit Network and Bus Types (402.64Kb)

Section 3: Public Transit (Structural Corridors, Integration, Network Map, Pedestrians and Buses) (626.37Kb)

Section 4: Heritage Preservation and Environmental Protection, Social Housing and Job Opportunities (571.68Kb)

Section 5: Metropolitan Scenario, New Development, Intergovernmental Relations and Budgets (615.43Kb)

For more information:

Institute of Research and Urban Planning, Curitiba

City of Curitiba (Portugese)

Curitiba case study

Official Plan, City of Toronto

Lessons Learned

• Transportation is vital to urban quality of life, but the real issues extend beyond transportation to reflect the role of urban areas as Canada’s centres of economy and culture
• Urban areas need predictable, long-term funding to make transportation more sustainable
• Senior government funders have a right to influence local planning, but should be descriptive (i.e. focus on outcomes) rather than prescriptive (i.e. focus on process)
• Flexibility (both provincial and regional) is essential, as is respect for provincial jurisdiction 
• Funding should go to projects that are most needed, not just those that are ready for construction
• Having a single regional authority is a great benefit, although its composition and mandate may vary among regions
• Planning needs to be more integrated (e.g. land use with transportation, local with regional, short-term with long-term)
• Potential partnerships exist with business, non-governmental, transportation and academic sectors
• Political courage at the municipal level is required to make hard choices in pursuit of long-term sustainability, and communities receiving senior government funding should be required to follow through
• A transparent federal funding policy regarding public-private partnership projects is required
• There is a valuable federal role in helping urban areas forecast and monitor development, transportation behaviours and their impacts (e.g. on public health)
• Federal support should extend beyond infrastructure funding to include tax relief, research and development

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Review of International Urban Transportation Policy Frameworks, Strategies and Governance Models

Light Rail Transit Vehicle

Audience questions and discussion revolved around finding a desirable balance among federal, provincial and local powers, the influence of climate change as a policy driver, and national differences in discretionary versus formula funding.

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View Michael Lehman presentation:

PDF presentation (1.1Mb)

For more information:

PDF report (1.3Mb)

Acknowledgments

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Study Report (PDF information)

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The American Experience: Intergovernmental Approaches Under ISTEA and TEA-21 (PDF information)

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The European Experience: Integrated Mobility (PDF information)

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Intergovernmental Collaboration and the Private Sector: The Australian and World Bank Experience (PDF information)

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The Brazilian Experience: Leadership, Innovation and Results (PDF information)

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Review of International Urban Transportation Policy Frameworks, Strategies and Governance Models (PDF information)

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External Links Disclaimer

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