Toronto, May 29. Talk of transit and how to finance it continues to make headlines.  While finding new ways of funding subways and LRTs is essential, this narrow focus has left the freight industry – and the transport infrastructure that this sector uses – isolated from the so-called revenue tool debate which is currently taking place.  Transport Futures is addressing this oversight by proudly hosting Ontario’s first-ever Goods Movement and Mobility Pricing Forum in Toronto on May 31.

Enabling the movement of trillions of dollars of goods annually, the freight industry is vital to Ontario’s economy. But inadequate infrastructure, increasing traffic congestion, fuel costs and hours on the road threaten the sector’s profitability, the province’s investment opportunities and our quality of life.  Within the context of the current economic climate and constrained government budgets, the Goods Movement and Mobility Pricing Forum will examine how reasonable road tolls, fuel taxes and parking fees will positively or negatively affect the goods movement sector, especially those involved with trucking and logistics.

International experts will join with provincial freight stakeholders and knowledgeable delegates to discuss their perspectives on mobility pricing implementation barriers related to technology, equity, investment, governance and leadership — and generate strategies that might be acceptable in the GTHA and Ontario.  Proceedings will be added to a Transport Futures communications tool kit to be released in 2013.

Who: Government, business/freight industry, labour, academic and non-profit representatives, policy experts and citizens with an intrerest in sustainable transportation.

What: Transport Futures Goods Movement & Mobility Pricing Forum

When: Thursday, May 31, 2012 – 8:30 am – 5:00 pm

Where:  Metropolitan Hotel (Toronto Ballroom), 108 Chestnut Street, Toronto

Why:  To include the freight industry in the dialogue on how mobility pricing measures can help reduce gridlock, minimize emissions, decrease traffic accidents and pay for the transportation services we use

A few of the experts speaking at Transport Futures will include:

• Ian Parry, International Monetary Fund (IMF), Washington, DC, USA
• Stephen Laskowski, Senior Vice President, Ontario Trucking Association, Toronto
• José Holguín-Veras, Professor, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY, USA
• Andreas Kossak, Principal, Kossak Research & Consulting, Hamburg, Germany
• Lisa Salsberg, Manager, Strategic Policy & Systems Planning, Metrolinx, Toronto
• David Turnbull, President & CEO, Canadian Courier & Logistics Association, Toronto

For more information, see www.transportfutures.ca/goods.

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