Mobycon at the 2023 TAC Conference & Exhibition

Nearly 2,000 Canadians a year are killed in road crashes and nearly 8,000 more are seriously injured. Society tends to treat each deadly crash as a random tragedy but these crashes follow patterns that can be observed at a high-level. Our session will provide an overview of best practices in post-crash data analysis from around the world and highlight actions that can be taken with all levels of data quality. 

We will outline the Dutch method of crash investigation and look at the ways this practice has helped decision-makers connect the dots and re-shaped roadways to prevent further dangerous conditions. We will also speak to this practice’s place with the Dutch Safe System approach which emphasizes predictable road conditions, slow speeds and modal separation. 

Okka Maw will provide context from an Australian perspective and discuss road safety audit practices and post-crash analysis, as well as state-led vision-zero and safe systems approaches including crash data collection at state levels and sharing and analysis of crashes on an annual basis. 

Both Dutch and Australian experience shows that across countries, the data clearly points to characteristics of dangerous roadways – unpredictable designs, high speeds and mixed modes at different speeds. Post-crash analysis is only useful in preventing fatalities and serious injuries if its findings shape future roadway design. 

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In the midst of a climate emergency and emerging from a global pandemic, transportation increasingly plays a critical factor in the functioning of society. While growth and urbanization impose increasing pressure on the transportation system, it also opens the opportunity to make crucial decisions on how to manage and facilitate transportation in a positive way. Municipalities in Canada set forth their high-level plan for transportation through the Transportation Master Plan (TMP) process. This is a recurring process that is updated to reflect changes in both the land use and transportation paradigms. 

This presentation will summarize Mobycon’s Network Principles approach drawn from the Dutch ANWB research. It reflects on current national best practices in Canada and presents a set of aspirational principles and guidance to help municipalities move forward in developing a transportation system and urban fabric that responds to the changing demands of a modern growing city. They include: 

• Mobility in Cities - mobility best practices and strategies in modern cities; 
• Network Planning – identification of network planning principles for all traffic modes; 
• Place and identify - establishing a framework to relate land use and traffic; and 
• Balancing Traffic and Place - a methodology for balancing networks with sense of place. 

This Dutch-inspired approach has informed the TMP update for several municipalities across Canada, such as Canmore, AB and Ottawa, ON, to achieve safer, more equitable, effective, and context sensitive transportation networks for all modes in the future.   

Social Media and Transportation Planning: Friend or Foe?

Panelist: Narayan Donaldson

Tuesday, September 26 @ 15:45 EST

Social media platforms have assumed a central role in our daily lives, and transportation planning is no exception. Platforms like YouTube, Twitter, and Tiktok are regularly used for discussing and disseminating information about transportation projects and ideas and sometimes to a wide audience. The YouTube channels City Beautiful and Not Just Bikes, for example, have amassed 60M and 87M views, respectively. 

This panel will discuss both the opportunities and challenges of the growing role of social media in transportation planning, including: 

• Communicating technical concepts to new audiences 
• Inspiring more members of the public to get involved in consultations 
• Encouraging more young people to enter the profession 
• Managing the polarizing nature of social media and the potential for spreading of misinformation

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E-Bikes are Here, What’s Next?

Panelist: Narayan Donaldson

Wednesday, September 27 @ 15:00 EST

Electric bicycles, or e-bikes, bring a suite of challenges around speed, safety, regulation and facility design. At the same time, they can improve the accessibility of cycling for a broad range of users and increase cycling rates, particularly in lower-density communities. This multidisciplinary panel discussion will include researchers, practitioners and users discussing what’s known about e-bikes, what questions are unanswered, and what their future could be in the transportation landscape.

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The 2023 TAC Conference & Exhibition will be held from September 24–27, 2023, in Ottawa, Canada. For more information about the event, see here. If you’re planning on attending and would like to connect, please reach out to us at info@mobycon.com!