Vancouver, Ottawa, Montreal Among Transit Award Winners

HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA--(Marketwired - May 17, 2016) -

Editors Note: There is a photo associated with this press release.

There's a lot that goes into even a single service change at any transit system, and that single change also has real-life effects on a community.

When Vancouver's TransLink was preparing to make 85 services changes late in 2015, they looked to extensive public consultation to engage transit passengers and to make sure voices were heard. TransLink's Transit Network Consultation campaign, the largest of its kind for the organization exceeded feedback targets and is now the organization's roadmap for how to engage with the public in preparation for extensive service changes.

At a lively awards lunch today, as part of The Canadian Urban Transit Association's (CUTA) Annual Conference and Meeting in Halifax, TransLink received CUTA's Corporate Leadership Award in the category of 'Communication and Marketing' for the Transit Network Consultation campaign. York Region Rapid Transit Corporation and GO Transit also won in the same category.

Ask any operator what their typical week looks like behind the wheel and you might hear about some of the challenges they face with aggressive passengers. To address this and to help operators during these difficult situations, Ottawa's OC Transpo developed the effective Pro-In-Motion training program to provide operators with the skills to de-escalate aggressive customer behavior and maintain safe driving conditions for passengers. The success of the program won the organization an award in the category of 'Safety and Security'.

Joining the winners is Montreal's Société de Transport de Montréal (STM) in the category of 'Environment' for the impressive Stinson Bus Garage, designated LEED Gold certified in 2015. The accomplishment was the first of its kind for a bus garage in Quebec and one of only a few across Canada. To attain Gold level certification, the organization balanced operational needs and LEED requirements all while including public consultation, sustainable materials and construction methods and 60% less energy consumption that other bus facilities or its size.

"There is a lot more to making transit work than meets the eye" said Patrick Leclerc, President and CEO at CUTA. "We have a lot to celebrate in the industry: bright minds, bright ideas and the passion of people who care about what they do in communities across Canada - that's what these awards are all about".

The CUTA Corporate Leadership Awards honour the best and most innovative transit system achievements in the categories of Environment, Marketing and Communication, and Safety and Security.

The 2016 Award Recipients are:

Environment:

• Société de transport de Montréal - Stinson Bus Garage

Marketing & Communications:

• York Region Rapid Transit Corporation - Business Support Communication - Davis Drive Rapidway
  
  
• GO Transit - Seasonal Service Campaign
  
  
• TransLink - Transit Network Consultation

Safety and Security:

• Brampton Transit - "See Something - Hear Something - Say Something Program"
  
  
• OC Transpo - Pro-In-Motion

Visit http://cutaactu.ca/en/events-training/corporate-awards for more information about award winners.

About CUTA

CUTA is the collective and influential voice of public transportation in Canada, dedicated to being at the centre of urban mobility issues with all orders of government, and delivering the highest value to its members and the communities they serve. CUTA is the national association representing public transit systems, suppliers to the industry, government agencies, individuals and related organizations in Canada.

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