Canadian Urban Transit Association

In December 1904, a group of officials from six street railway companies met in Montreal, Quebec and formed the Canadian Street Railway Association. The Association grew quickly and the focus of its activities reflected the changing times. It was renamed the Canadian Transit Association in 1932. After several name changes, the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) was adopted in 1973.

In its early years, membership was restricted to privately owned systems, especially on the prairies, and the rapid development of the bus (and its use by founding members) promoted changes to the Association's constitution. In 1920, municipally owned systems were welcomed along with non-operating members (suppliers).

Many issues discussed by CUTA's predecessors remain topical today - traffic congestion, competition by the private automobile, vehicle design, transit marketing, relations with and regulation by government, and transit priority. New to the agenda in recent decades are the matters of achieving sustainable funding. Transit plays an important role in improving the environment. Urban sprawl and worsening air quality have today become issues of concern, not just by governments and local transit operators, but by the wider Canadian public.

The developments of the past century are testimony to the progress made by service providers and their suppliers. CUTA has vigorously defended the industry and actively promoted public transit across Canada. More recently, it has assisted government by laying the foundations of major transit funding programs that are bearing fruit. Since its foundation, Association members have benefited greatly from CUTA's vast resources and training expertise.

To mark the centennial of the Canadian Urban Transit Association in 2004, CUTA prepared a publication to document the many activities, achievements and challenges facing public transit systems since that 1904 winter day in Montreal when the Association was born. A Century of Moving Canada is their story.

More recently, membership has grown to over 500 members, including 120 transit systems, 280 manufacturers, suppliers and other businesses, as well as numerous affiliates and government agencies.

CUTA's main office is located in Toronto, with a public affairs office in Ottawa. CUTA's ongoing activities and services are divided into six program areas, designed to serve the key requirements of the association's transit system, business, government and affiliate members. Where appropriate, these areas are linked to CUTA's National Committees, which are intended to serve in an ongoing advisory capacity:

• Government Relations and Public Affairs
• Communications
• Technical Services
• Education and Training
• Administrative and Financial Support
• Association Governance

CUTA has five regional and five national committees. The Regional Committees comprise Atlantic, Quebec, Ontario, Prairies and Territories, and British Columbia provinces. They meet periodically for information sharing on issues of mutual interest. The national committees are Business Members, Communication and Public Affairs, Human Resources, Technical Services and Transit Board Members. These committees are being aligned with Transit Vision 2040 in order to proactively address the six themes contained in the Report.

The purpose of the Business Members Committee is to represent the interests of all Business Members relating to the policies and direction of the Association.

The Communications and Public Affairs Committee communicates strong and positive messages to all stakeholders about the important role of transit in a sustainable transportation system. This committee also oversees CUTA advocacy and government relations activities and has a sub-committee responsible for conference planning.

The Human Resources Committee provides a forum to assist CUTA members in promoting best Human Resource practices within their systems through research, training and information exchange. A sub-committee manages the CUTA National Recognition Awards Program.

The purpose of the Technical Services Committee is to promote the effectiveness of public transit and to encourage best practices in the industry by way of research and development and through the exchange of information in the areas of operations, planning, bus design and maintenance. There are sub-committees representing vehicle technology, standards and maintenance; planning and ITS; statistics; and accessible transit.

The purpose of the Transit Board Members Committee is to provide a forum for exchange and promoting public transit among municipal decision-makers, identify current and emerging municipal issues of concern to the industry and provide assistance in resolving them, as well as to raise awareness and promote the use of CUTA activities and transit best practices throughout the municipal sector.

In 2009, CUTA embarked on an initiative that involves the development of an industry vision, framing a comprehensive definition of the role of public transit in Canada for a 30-year time horizon. Transit Vision 2040 communicates transit's contribution to quality of life, the nature of change likely to take place in our communities by 2040, the implications these changes will have on transit, and strategic directions for actions that can maximize transit's contribution to our quality of life.

Transit Vision 2040 is about putting transit at the centre of communities through stronger government policy and decision-making frameworks, and better community planning and design. It is about revolutionizing service in all types of communities through expansion and innovation, so that transit systems can both encourage and serve growing demands as they keep pace with the changing face of cities and towns. It is about focusing on customers and accelerating the delivery of flexible, integrated transit services that meet the needs of an increasingly diverse and discriminating clientele. It is about greening transit to further reduce the industry's ecological footprint, improve energy efficiency and limit greenhouse gas emissions. It is about ensuring financial health through enhanced transit infrastructure and operating investments by all orders of government, more progressive approaches to generating revenue, and new efficiencies in service delivery. Finally, it is about strengthening knowledge and practice so that Canada's transit industry can more effectively respond to future opportunities and challenges.

This Vision takes a long-term view, but it is intended to guide concrete short-term actions by CUTA, its members and other stakeholders. The Vision has particular relevance for transit agencies and can serve as a framework for strategic planning efforts by individual systems.

• CUTA Web Site
• Complete list of CUTA members