Metro Magazine, June 2020

17 C M Y CM MY CY CMY K new half pg 032020 pdf 1 3 20 2020 2 25 42 PM JUNE 2020 METRO MAGAZINE COM JAMES PURKIS Transit and Rail Lead Stantec Initially how did the pandemic impact Stantec When it became apparent that COVID 19 was going to reach pandemic levels we were able to arrange for almost 19000 out of our 22000 employees to work remotely and support client communities around the world One reason we were able to respond so quickly was because we had invested in giving our people flexibility as well as the technology necessary for work life balance Another main reason is that we created a pandemic response committee about 10 years ago which was set up to lead our response from the highest levels Emergency response teams were quickly mobilized to put plans into place Personally I was working in China during the SARS outbreak and was aware of what a lockdown policy could look like I am still in contact with some former colleagues there so I had a sense of what might be coming What is your outlook for the future of public transportation While few jurisdictions are saying they are delaying capital projects everyone is trying to understand what the impact of the pandemic will be With the massive reduction in ridership there is reduced cash flow within agencies which has caused a huge challenge to stay operational Agencies are seeking emergency funds but what will funding look like in the future How can we include transit in plans to reinvigorate the economy While this is an enormous challenge there are not transit solutions that can be built rapidly our cities have taken years to plan design and build mass transit solutions as an integral part of their vibrancy Things may look a little different if social distancing remains a priority in some form but there is a future for transit and helping people move more easily within their cities If a return to offices in major centers occurs they cannot have most citizens moving around in cars gridlock will transpire as the infrastructure cannot support this Safe shared transportation solutions are a necessity To have ridership return passengers need to feel safe This means increased attention to the passenger experience managing the flow of people and ensuring that we are listening and responding to customer input The way we have been designing our cities for more than 100 years It is not going to completely change overnight but we can start to reshape things to reflect the new expectations from citizens and government and continue to make our communities a better place to be