Metro Magazine, June 2020

14 METRO MAGAZINE COM JUNE 2020 SPECIAL REPORT CONSULTANTS JOSÉ BUSTAMANTE VP North America Business Development Director T I Division STV What has been the companys biggest challenge during this pandemic Like other professional businesses our biggest challenge has been the inability to predict the outcome of this pandemic and its impact on our operations going forward In many ways we have been ready for this type of challenge as our cloud based cybersecurity and virtual tools allowing for remote interaction have been in place for some time and represent a significant investment of our business We have risen to the challenge and are confident that given the circumstances we are providing our clients with a high level of service We are committed to working with each of our clients to advance our projects and meet our deadlines because it is in the best interest of communities across the country and our economy How has the pandemic impacted Canada and how does that compare to the impact here in the states Like many other countries around the world Canada has been impacted by the pandemic but it seems like the effect has been far greater on our side of the border When you have a gateway to the world like New Yok City and the fifth largest economy in the world in California the impact is likely to be more significant Our projects in Canada have continued moving forward during the COVID 19 crisis We have had some disruptions as expected and much like the U S Canada seems to be in the emergency phase of the pandemic at this time Transit agencies across Canada are also seeing record low declines in ridership as people have been confined to their homes for the past couple of months Furthermore they are also seeing an increase in costs primarily due to disinfecting rolling stock and the need to keep operators safe Like APTA in the U S CUTA has urged the Canadian federal government to support public transit agencies during the COVID 19 crisis but Im not aware of any legislation providing financial relief to transit providers as of today How do you feel consultants and the industry move forward after COVID 19 Our business is about people and relationships COVID 19 has reminded us that people and relationships as well as creativity are fundamental to our day to day activities Therefore on our end we will continue being strategic about our investments and never stop providing our clients with a high level of service as we believe that is the best way to foster our relationships As an industry we need to keep challenging ourselves with the best models to deliver projects effectively and must never stop creating value for our clients During turbulent times clients look for nimbleness and clarity and our industrys ability to provide this has been in JULIE DORAZIO Market Leader Transit and Rail WSP USA What are some global trends you see taking hold in North America in the future Transportation planning and project delivery must be adaptable to changing times We see a trend toward better anticipating and preparing for fundamental changes in how communities live work and travel The positive impacts on the environment due to this crisis are undeniable as people use fewer automobiles and planes The public is understanding the role transit and mobility play in the health of their towns and cities This is driving a conversation around the need to define the future role of transit in the post COVID 19 world Do you feel this period will help generate more technological innovation If there is a silver lining in this epidemic it is the innovation that developed around mitigating risk and improving safety When we developed The COVID 19 the spotlight during this crisis We look forward to working with our clients during the post COVID 19 era to creatively address their needs and come up with new and collaborative ways of planning designing and building our transportation infrastructure Pandemic Public Transportation Responds Safeguarding Riders and Employees guide in collaboration with APTA and the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health our research recognized many of the new technologies being tested Innovation technologies are being developed such as advanced cleaning systems With workforce development being such a huge aspect of the industry how do you feel work from home will impact a companys ability to continue the growth of its employees Having two children in college who are now remote learning I can attest that the answer is clear we need to learn from the educational industry They transformed content and delivered it online through virtual classes While this does not completely replace hands on learning it does give us a major head start Transit agencies and consultants some of whom in the past may have regarded the investment of resources into remote work as too costly should focus on improving this method of learning and expand our virtual work infrastructures What is important to include in future federal economic recovery packages We encourage major federal investments in transit to fund critical projects that will repair maintain and improve public transit and passenger rail systems today and in the future The road to recovery must address funding and finance resiliency planning to account for changing transit agencies costs and revenues The importance of investment in American transit systems will significantly strengthen our communities and increase economic growth