October 8 – 9, 2025 | Road Safety Summit, Policy Forum, and Committee Meetings
Delta Marriott Toronto Airport, 655 Dixon Rd, Etobicoke, ON M9W 1J3
October 8, 2025 | Sponsors’ Dinner and Reception
La Scala Ristorante, 2601 Matheson Blvd E Unit 2, Mississauga, ON L4W 5A8
We are thrilled to host the 2025 OPTA Fall Member Meet-Up, combining the Road Safety Summit, Policy Forum, and Committee Meetings, in one event, for your convenience. This in-person event will bring together over 200 of Ontario’s transit managers, innovators, and safety experts to tackle key challenges and shape the future of public transit.
Agenda
October 8, 2025 | Road Safety Summit
The Toronto Transit Commission’s Bus Design Innovation Program will be presenting their demonstration vehicle that will highlight the innovations new technologies that enhance safety for passengers, operators and vulnerable road users. Our marquee sponsors will also be demonstrating and showcasing their new vehicles and technologies.
Kick off the summit with a joint welcome from OPTA and CUTA leadership, highlighting the growing collaboration on transit safety across Ontario and Canada.
This session will feature senior safety officers sharing perspectives on the most significant safety initiatives currently confronting transit systems and the measures being implemented to address them. Participants will gain insight into the wide range of issues affecting agencies, from sharing tips on protecting vulnerable road users to operational risks and broader community concerns.
Speakers:
- Betty Hasserjian – TTC
- Martin Gallagher – Metrolinx
- Sabrina Pasian – OC Transpo
The Toronto Transit Commission’s Bus Design Innovation Program, in partnership with the Amalgamated Transit Union, will discuss the lessons they have learned from their innovations in health and safety on board buses. Alongside Andrew Falotico, Health and Safety Director with the Amalgamated Transit Union, the discussion will highlight how new safety initiatives —ranging from address the increase in transit worker assaults to the need to protect vulnerable road users— are being addressed by the program.
This session will feature OC Transpo as it outlines the actions taken in response to the recommendations stemming from the Westboro bus crash inquest, highlighting both the progress achieved and the work still underway to strengthen safety across its operations. The presentation will review key initiatives implemented to date, including enhanced training programs to ensure new bus operators are proficient on multiple vehicle types, the discussion of installation of driver-facing cameras to support accountability and operational monitoring, and collaborative efforts with other transit agencies to develop and align safety standards.
Closing reflections on the day’s insights and a preview of what’s next in road safety innovation.
Board the shuttle and continue the conversation on the way to dinner.
Buses leave from the Starbucks doors
Enjoy an evening of networking and great food with industry leaders, sponsors, and colleagues from across Ontario.
October 9, 2025 | Policy Forum and Committee Meetings
James Pearce, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Transit Division at the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario will speak on the government’s investments in transit system expansion, fare affordability and other topics.
This session will feature a candid conversation between James Pearce, Assistant Deputy Minister of the Transit Division at the Ministry of Transportation of Ontario, and Kelly Paleczny, Chair of OPTA and General Manager of the London Transit Commission. Through question and answer, they will explore the future direction of transit in Ontario and how municipal and provincial leaders can work together to grow transit ridership. The discussion will address key issues shaping the sector, including the Ministry’s outlook on the future of funding for transit systems across the province and the impact of the government’s One Fare program on local transit revenues and financial planning.
This session will bring together agency leaders and experts, including Mike Buda from TransLink and Catherine Baldelli from Burlington Transit, David Cooper from Leading Mobility, and Keegan Tully from PowerON, to examine the evolving transit funding landscape and the challenges agencies face across the region. Panelists will discuss efforts by TransLink to modernize funding and governance models amid growing service demands and financial pressures. The conversation will also explore findings from recent studies on Development Cost Charges (DCCs), highlighting how planned reductions to these vital revenue sources may affect transit capital financing and expansion projects. Additionally, the session will address the financial implications and strategic benefits of transitioning to Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) technologies, featuring insights on how agencies like Oakville Transit are successfully future-proofing their fleets and facilities to support electrification.
- 9:00 – 9:15 AM: Mike Buda, Executive Director, TransLink Mayors’ Council Secretariat – Building a New Transit Funding Model in Metro Vancouver
TransLink, like most large transit agencies, is facing a funding crisis due to the pandemic and inflation, is under pressure to deliver more service to meet a growing population and support affordable housing and climate objectives and is faced with making complex public policy decisions with often outdated governance structures. Mike Buda, the Executive Director of the TransLink Mayors’ Council, will share the work being done to adapt and modernize the transit funding and governance model in Metro Vancouver to meet today’s and tomorrow’s demands. As one of North America’s leading regional transportation agencies, with ridership per capita only slightly behind Greater New York City and ahead of the Greater Toronto Area’s transit systems, and with the most diverse set of revenue tools of any Canadian transit agency, TransLink has lessons to share that may help Ontario’s transit systems make changes to how transit is paid for and how decisions are made, particularly in the context of the requirements of the Canada Public Transit Fund. - 9:15 – 9:30 AM: David Cooper, Development Charges Study – Impact on Transit Capital Projects
- 9:30 – 9:45 AM: Student Markets and Transit
- 9:45 – 10:00: Keegan Tully, PowerON Energy Solutions Funding the Transition to ZEBs: Future-Proofing Transit Infrastructure Today
- 10:00 – 10:30 AM: Prepared + Audience Q & A
This session will explore the financial case and pragmatic advantages of systems adopting Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) projects. Drawing on the experiences of municipalities that have successfully navigated these pathways, attendees will gain insights into effective approaches for advocating, planning, and advancing BRT initiatives. A key highlight will be the efforts by York Regional Transit and Grand River Transit to successful implement bus rapid transit systems, and will feature the expertise of AECOM in setting up bus rapid transit systems around the world.
Speakers:
- Moderator – Kirsten Watson, AECOM;
- Kyle Catney, York Region Transit;
- Doug Spooner, Grand River Transit;
- Metrolinx (TBC)
This presentation will address some popular myths with regard to automated speed enforcement and red light camera systems. The differences between charges under the Provincial Offences Act and the issuance of penalty orders under the Administrative Penalty system of adjudication will be explained including in the context of CVOR points.
Speaker:
- Sheilagh Stewart, Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General (Retired)
This session will bring an interactive and fun element, giving participants a chance to ask pointed questions to transit leaders. There will be highlights of how the diversity of local solutions to transit problems are often unique and offer advantages in finding solutions to common issues facing transit systems today.
A final chance to connect with vendors, peers, and colleagues before the afternoon sessions begin.
By invitation only, this round table offers opportunities for general managers and senior staff from large systems across the province to discuss and share notes on common challenges facing the transit sector.
Thank you to our Sponsors
Marquee
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