In the third of our special Transit Unplugged episodes from Virtual ThinkTransit, we have the final keynote from Day Three. Our final keynote of the conference had Geoff Gray step into Paul Comfort's shoes to moderate this amazing panel of Phil Verster, President and CEO, Metrolinx; Erinn Pinkerton, President and CEO, BC Transit; and Alex Wiggins, CEO, New Orleans Transit.

Phil started off highlighting projects underway that will keep going to meet the needs of one of Canada's fastest-growing cities. But it's not just infrastructure, it's a focus on safety and getting people to feel comfortable taking transit again.

Alex, as other speakers will note later, the pandemic highlighted the often historical disparities between the people who need transit and those who run it. Alex's own parents couldn't fully use the transit system he now runs. And the ferry system that's part of his network was once used as an embarkation place for African slaves.

In New Orleans, as in many other cities across North America, people of color were disproportionately affected by both the pandemic health-wise, but economically as well. As Alex had to reduce service at the height of the pandemic, was he inadvertently hurting the very people he most needed to serve.

Alex's goal, spurred by the pandemic, is looking at his entire transit system and remove barriers. He wants to get headways below 15 minutes and make transit riders equal to car drivers in access to jobs and services.

Erinn, started her talk acknowledging that her office sites on the traditional lands of the Lekwungen, Songhees, Esquimalt, and WSÁNEĆ peoples. This, for people in British Columbia, is an important part of addressing the past disparities and injustices we benefit from now.

BC Transit, as Geoff mentioned, serves the transit needs of an area bigger than the state of Texas. Erinn sees her job not as getting things back to normal but also to get things to something better. For example, morning and evening rush hour service is some of the most expensive services in the system, what if that becomes less important than better mid-day and weekend service? Mid-day and weekends have been in the past when people use transit less, but now that's changing.

And Erinn is innovating with programs like Transit to Trail to get people to popular hiking spots and reduce pressure on communities and parking in already sensitive areas.

After Erinn's talk, the panel took questions from the audience on the points raised above, like fares (The whole Province of B.C. is going fare-free for kids under 13 starting in September) and how each agency is helping people feel safe and ready to ride again. They are looking forward to the time when people have a place to take transit to again.

"We have to be there for people. Mobility is freedom. Transit plays a role in helping the community recover, and I know that right now, transit riders feel that this is their one chance for a social connection." -- Erinn Pinkerton