Vancouver to host major North American conference on public transit this year

Mar 14 2019, 3:16 am

Public transit planners and industry experts from around the world will be descending on downtown Vancouver this year for the ‘Rail~Volution’ conference on public transit and community development.

For its 25th year, the annual conference is making its first venture outside of the United States, with TransLink as the local organizer of this year’s event. Recent host cities include Pittsburgh, Denver, and San Francisco.

Over 1,200 attendees are expected, including representatives from dozens of public transit agencies, politicians, government officials, non-profit and business leaders, community and housing advocates, mobility and technology innovators, developers, and engineers.

Vancouver was selected as the host city for the 2019 conference to learn from the region’s successes and challenges with public transit.

‘Rail~Volution’ notes TransLink has seen significant growth in ridership in recent years and transit-oriented developments around SkyTrain stations, with about 100 active projects within a block of the stations.

Other acknowledgements include the frequent SkyTrain system, which is the world’s longest automated light rail system, and the creation of a frequent transit network with buses arriving at least every 15 minutes throughout the day.

Attendees will also learn about TransLink’s $7-billion expansion plan that includes SkyTrain extensions and bus expansions.

The proportion of ‘active transportation’ trips is also relatively high, with 48% of all trips within the City of Vancouver being made on public transit and by walking and cycling. Recent data from the American Public Transit Association indicates Metro Vancouver is experiencing the highest growth in transit ridership in North America.

The conference will be held at the Hyatt Regency from September 8 to 11, 2019.

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