What are the primary root causes of congestion in the City of Toronto? These debaters will dissect the barriers that are preventing our city from:
a) Having transit we can depend on: Reliability disruptions and safety incidents are keeping commuters off transit; TTC volumes remain more than 30% down from pre-Pandemic levels. This is the key pain point for return to office and attending sporting and cultural attractions.
b) Getting the most out of our roads: Accelerate the deployment of sophisticated traffic management technologies; better construction project planning; re-assessment of some bike lane routes; and consideration of trucks-only lanes.
c) Moving across the city faster: The one-hour challenge: identify short-term solutions to boost the speed and consistency of commuting, and a long-term goal of one-hour maximum transit travel times within the city.
Debaters:
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Josh Colle, Senior Vice-President, EY
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Denzil Minnan-Wong, Former Deputy Mayor of Toronto and City Councillor, Don Valley East
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Teresa Di Felice, AVP, Government and Community Relations, CAA Club Group
Moderator:
- Colin D’Mello, Queens Park Bureau Chief, Global News Toronto
Josh Colle, Senior Vice-President, EY
Josh Colle is a leader in EY’s Government and Public Sector practice and advises clients and supports them in finding public transit, infrastructure, and service delivery solutions. This work has seen Josh working with public sector clients across North America with their efforts to review and improve services, find efficiencies and save costs, enhance operating and governance models, and navigate complex issues and stakeholder environments. Much of this work has been focused on supporting municipalities and transit agencies. Josh sits on the Board of the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) and previously served as Chair of the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) and as a Toronto City Councillor.
Josh works with senior leaders at municipalities and transit providers in Canada and the US to address their most pressing challenges and opportunities. Over the course of his career in the transportation and infrastructure industry he has spoken regularly to public audiences and the media. Josh has spoken on public transit issues across North America at American Association of Public Transit (APTA), Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA), Urban Transit Infrastructure, Railway Age, and many other events and sessions.
Josh received a B.A. from McGill University in Montreal and is a holder of the Institute of Corporate Directors Director designation and currently serves as the Vice Chair of Integrated Mobility on the Board of CUTA.
Teresa Di Felice, AVP, Government and Community Relations, CAA Club Group
Teresa is the AVP of Government & Community Relations for the CAA Club Group of companies, Canada's largest CAA club. She has been with CAA since 2005. She is responsible for the overall direction and execution of the organization’s advocacy strategies and programs. She also oversees CCG’s corporate contributions programs.
Teresa’s breadth and range of knowledge on infrastructure, transportation, road safety, automotive and industry issues related to CAA’s work has resulted in many contributions to the development and execution of sound public policy. These include input into the province’s cycling strategy, being a member of the Premier’s panel on the Transit Investment Strategy, tow industry reform and other road safety initiatives.
Denzil Minnan-Wong, Former Deputy Mayor of Toronto and City Councillor, Don Valley East
Colin D’Mello, Queens Park Bureau Chief, Global News Toronto