ROTRAND RE-ELECTED NATIONAL TRANSIT CHAIR

Snowdon City Councillor Marvin Rotrand, Vice President of the Montreal Transit Commission (STM), was re-elected yesterday as the chair of the Transit Board Members Committee (TBMC) of the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA).

TBMC is comprised of Mayors and Councillors who sit on transit agency boards across Canada. Rotrand was acclaimed to a second two-year term as committee chair while Councillor Wes Brodhead of St. Albert, Alberta was elected vice-chair.

“I am honoured to again have the members’ confidence,” said Rotrand. “CUTA’s collaboration with the Government of Canada to pump money into transit infrastructure to address the funding deficit and improve services is vital in promoting our country’s sustainable transport future cutting congestion and greenhouse gas emissions. TBMC’s role as a link to Members of Parliament and members of the provincial legislatures is a key in helping CUTA accomplish its mission”

TBMC members recently took part in the National Transit Awareness Days in Ottawa visiting 70 members of parliament representing four political parties in as part of the effort to have money earmarked by the Trudeau government to quickly flow to major transit projects.

Amarjeet Sohi, Canada’s Minister of Infrastructure and Communities, was a member of TBMC before his election as a Member of Parliament in October 2015.

“It certainly welcome to have the ear of the Minister.” declares Rotrand. “We will work closely with the Minister in our efforts to electrify transport, assure universal accessibility, promote inter-modality and build new lines to accommodate population growth and increased ridership.

Rotrand indicates that CUTA will collaborate closely with the International Union of Public Transport as well as the local hosts which include the STM and the Agence metropolitan de transport for the Global Public Transport Summit which will be held in Montreal next May.