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Q&A: How Metrolinx’s Environmental Initiatives Transformed Them Into an Award-Winning Agency

Jan 29, 2016
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Award-winning agencies stay ahead of transit trends to implement new initiatives that will increase customer satisfaction – and that’s exactly what the 2015 recipients of the Canadian Urban Transit Association (CUTA) did.

Every year, CUTA hosts a National Awards program to highlight any Canadian Transit Agency, on a corporate and individual level, for notable advancement or achievement. 

One of the 2015 winners was Metrolinx, who won the Environmental award. We spoke to several members of Metrolinx to find out how they won and why it was important for them.  

Trapeze: Why did you apply for the CUTA corporate leadership award?  

Antoine Belaieff, Director of Regional Planning: We applied for the CUTA corporate leadership award because we felt it was very important to go beyond the inherent satisfaction of observing energy savings. We wanted to be able to share that experience with transit agencies throughout the country.  

We have a tight transit community in Canada, so we made sure to share our experience with other agencies from coast to coast. Our experience can help other agencies make the case why it's not just enough to provide transit to be sustainable but that they have the opportunity to grow a lot further.  

Trapeze: What was key to your energy saving program's success? 

Leslie Woo, Chief Financial Officer: The key to our program is our investment in the people of our organization. As a planner, we set out the targets and we analyze what will make a long-term difference. But the vital part is really incenting our people with our vision and then empowering them to take ownership and to champion initiatives. 

Trapeze: What are some energy incentives you implemented and how did you achieve them? 

Matt Baynie, Vice President of GO Operations: Some of the energy incentives we integrated in Metrolinx is reducing our energy consumption, choosing clean and renewable resources and piloting new technologies. In order to achieve this, we require the commitment and guidance of every Metrolinx department. This included bus drivers and station attendants, all the way to project coordinators and planners. 

Trapeze: Can you give me an example of some new technology initiatives that have improved your stations? 

Suzanne Mackey, Manager of Station Operations West: We use high efficiency equipment in order to conserve energy at all of our stations. At three of our facilities we use photovoltiac systems to collect green energy. Another great example of our energy conservation is the LED lighting system that we installed in the tunnels of some of our stations. As customers walk into the tunnel, the lights turn on. As they exit the tunnel, the lights turn off.  

There are many other exciting initiatives that we're proud of: a co-generational system and tri-generation system, a geothermal system, white roofs, green roofs, and heating and cooling systems that are energy efficient. We also continue to work towards reducing the idling of our buses and our trains.  

Trapeze: Have there been any other benefits that have come from Metrolinx's energy initiatives? 

Janis LePage, Manager of Stations Operations East: For us, the most significant impact was the development of our energy team. Since then, communications between the divisions has increased immensely. Collectively, we are trying to figure out ways to mitigate energy consumption across all of the operating divisions of GO transit. We share ideas, challenges and try to find solutions together. One of the things we have done is run a How to Mitigate Energy contest. All of our frontline staff were able to enter.  

 

The 2016 CUTA National Awards will be happening at CUTA’s upcoming Annual Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia from May 14 – May 18.

Take a look at what Trapeze’s COO, Steve Sawyer, learned at the Fall Conference & Expo here. 


 
Victoria Fulton is the Marketing Program Manager at Trapeze Group. She manages the Trapeze UC and other events Trapeze participates in. Her favorite part of her job is meeting customers and developing relationships with transit professionals all over the world. Victoria graduated from Queen's University with a Bachelor of Arts, Honors in Sociology, where she specialized in consumer behaviour. Victoria is also our resident fashionista with a true eye for style. And yes, she is Dave Fulton’s daughter!
 
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