THE UITP’S 2017 GLOBAL PUBLIC TRANSPORT SUMMIT IN MONTREAL INNOVATION AT THE HEART OF THE AGENDA

Montreal, April 27, 2017 – With only twenty days until the opening of the International Association of Public Transport (UITP)’s 2017 Global Public Transport Summit, the two host organizations for the event – the AMT (Agence métropolitaine de transport) and the STM (the Société de transport de Montréal) – have outlined some of the highlights of its program for this 62^nd international congress that will be held at the Montreal Convention Centre from May 15 to 17. The theme for this year’s summit is LEAD the TRANSITion, and the AMT and STM are inviting Montrealers to come take advantage of the Place au Transport event that will be held at Jean-Paul Riopelle Square.  

Conferences and Main Themes

With the unprecedented urbanisation, digitalization and green-energies advancements that have arisen with globalization, operators around the world have had to face new challenges and redefine their role in the public-transit and urban-mobility ecosystem. As such, this Summit will emphasize recent innovations and provide a sneak peek into some of the new players on the public transportation scene.

Some 2,250 participants from 80 countries are expected to attend the event. They will have access to fifty different conferences that follow a variety of formulas. Some of the main themes include:

• The emergence of new transportation services;
• Self-driving vehicle technologies;
• New propulsion systems and energy efficiency;
• New trends in digitalization;
• Marketing new projects.

Robert Puentes, President and CEO of the Eno Center for Transportation, will be the keynote speaker at the Summit. This visionary American transportation guru is leading the charge on several development and innovation projects on urban mobility, including Digital Cities. His presentation will focus on how to manage and lead the transition on urban mobility – a sector that is currently booming. He will also participate in a round table discussion that will bring together CEOs from numerous transportation agencies from around the world.

Exhibit: World Premieres to be Unveiled at the Innovation Forum

The Innovation Forum, which boasts a 30,000 m² exhibition hall, will also highlight some of the most significant progress and trends made in the area of public transit. In addition, it will be the perfect setting for a series of World Premieres as well as the official, public unveiling of several innovative products and services that will be presented by exhibitors. For a quick overview of the World Premieres that will be unveiled, please visit https://uitpsummit.org/exhibition/.

Many Other Activities on Tap

The 2017 Global Public Transport Summit will also highlight the efforts and achievements of several other initiatives that are not related to the main event:

• The final event of the first Global Transport Hackathon organized by Youth for Public Transport (Y4PT) in 20 cities around the world in an effort to explore new sustainability technologies and encourage young programmers to get involved in the field;
• The presentation of the results of the UMii or Urban Mobility innovation index, which proposes data and a best-practices guide for urban mobility in various cities;
• A Poster Session on the latest trends in urban-mobility research, presented by university students and various operators;
• The UITP Awards Remittance, to acknowledge the success of seven projects established between 2015 and 2017 that put public transportation at the heart of urban and local mobility systems.  

Place au transport – a free public event at Jean-Paul-Riopelle Square

To encourage the public to take part in this event of worldwide importance, the AMT and STM joined forces to create the Place au transport – an event designed in association with the Summit for citizens of greater Montreal. It will include:

• Demonstrations of self-driving vehicles;
• An exhibit summarizing the history of active and collective transportation in Montreal, based on historical and artistic activities and experiences;  
• A photo exhibit highlighting the finalists from the UITP photo contest, which will no doubt be a full tour of public transit systems around the world;
• Spaces devoted to bicycle maintenance, active transport and car sharing.  

There will also be street trucks, concerts and other surprises on tap at Jean-Paul-Riopelle Square on May 15 and 16 between 11 am and 6:30 pm.  

About the Global Public Transport Summit

The Global Public Transport Summit was previously known as the UITP World Congress & Exhibition and has been running for 130 years! The concept behind the summit has evolved over the years and now focuses on innovation in the area of public transit and the growing importance of sustainable transportation in the industry. The event is held every two years and will be hosted by Montreal for the first time since 1977.

About the UITP

The International Association of Public Transport (UITP) groups together authorities and operators in the field of public transportation around the world. It represents an international network of 1,400 members in 96 countries. The organization’s head office is in Brussels, and it has 14 regional offices and liaison bureaus around the world.  

For more information on the Summit and the conference program, please visit: www.uitpsummit.org/

Media representatives who wish to take part in the Summit should immediately apply for their certification by registering at the following address: https://uitpsummit.org/press/.

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Information aux médias :

Caroline Julie Fortin                                                                
Agence métropolitaine de transport                                    
Tél. : 514 287-2464, poste 4076                                                
cjfortin@amt.qc.ca                                                                      

Isabelle A. Tremblay
Société de transport de Montréal
Tél. : 514 350-0800, poste 84940
isabelle-alice.tremblay@stm.info