Our Future Roads: The power of youth in creating

An engaging panel discussion on the design of our roads, communities, and the policies that affect safe mobility and the wellbeing of young people. The panel consisted of esteemed road safety professionals and industry leaders and will be moderated by a youth leader. 

Discussion topics: 

  • How the design of our cities and communities supports the safety and wellbeing of young road users (both drivers and those using multi-modal and active transportation options).
  • How road and city design and policies facilitate safety for vulnerable road users i.e. pedestrians, cyclists. 
  • The role of youth in advocating for safer system designs and Vision Zero.
  • The role of corporate leadership and policy makers in supporting youth road safety and empowering youth as changemakers.

Location: Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU)

Supersized vehicles, supersized safety risk (2024)

Large SUVs and pick-up trucks pose a safety threat to all road users. The collisions where a light truck is involved is both more likely to occur, and to cause fatal or serious injury to the involved vulnerable road user. Join panelists from Transport Canada, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Équiterre, Piétons Québec and the Coalition to Reduce Auto Size Hazards (CRASH) to learn more about the evidence and discuss how to mobilize and promote use of safer vehicles within Vision Zero.

PANEL:
Samuel Monfort is a Senior Statistician at the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) with a PhD in Human Factors Psychology. His research interests include vulnerable road users, crash compatibility, and the use and misuse of automation.

Dominique Charlebois works at Transport Canada as a Senior Project Manager, Engineering.

Albert Koehl is an Environment Lawyer and Coordinator of CRASH, a Toronto cycling and pedestrian advocate and author of editorials and other publications.

Anne-Catherine Pilon, Sustainable Mobility Analyst at Équiterre advocates for cities and vehicles that are at a human scale and for competitive alternatives to solo cars, through public transit funding.

Francis Garnier is a Public Affairs Analyst at Piétons Québec advocating for pedestrian road safety and transit funding in Québec based in Montréal.

Global road safety actions 2023: What you need to know (2023)

Presented by Parachute and CARSP, this webinar built upon the previous webinar and provide an update on the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, along with tools coming out of the eighth global meeting of NGOs advocating for road safety and road victims that took place March 6 to 10, 2023 in El Salvador.

We also shared turnkey social media messages and printable creative tools for all road safety partners to use for the upcoming UN Global Road Safety Week, running May 15 to 21, 2023, which calls on policy makers to #RethinkMobility to make walking, cycling and public transport safe and convenient so that people can make the shift to active, sustainable mobility.

Presenters
Valerie Smith
Director, Programs
Parachute

Raheem Dilgir
President
Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals

Good roads for all: Moving the needle on road safety (2023)

Building on findings from our Change for Good Roads initiative, this webinar explores our next steps to creating safer roads and healthier communities on the one-year anniversary of that report’s release. Moderated by Parachute’s President and CEO Pamela Fuselli, influential Canadian experts from the sectors of sustainable cities, equity, health and wellbeing and road safety discuss how to move the needle on support for road safety through multi-sectoral collaboration in Canada.

Panelists
Dr. John C. Spence
University of Alberta
Professor
Faculty of Kinesiology, Sport, and Recreation

Dr. Meghan Winters
Simon Fraser University
Professor
Faculty of Health Sciences

Arcy Canumay
BYCS Bicycle Mayor of Waterloo

Equity in Vision Zero and road safety (2022)

Six Es of traffic safety are commonly used in Vision Zero planning: Engineering, Enforcement, Evaluation, Education, Engagement and Equity. The newest E, Equity, addresses how different barriers and power imbalances can increase road hazards: for instance, lower-income neighbourhoods have poorer built environments and lack of access to transit.  

Moderator Valerie Smith, Director, Programs at Parachute, is in conversation with panelists from York University, The Centre for Active Transportation and WATT Consulting Group to learn more about applying an equity lens to Vision Zero and road safety planning.

Panelists

Jennie Geleff
Project Manager
The Centre for Active Transportation

Emily McCullogh
Postdoctoral Fellow
School of Kinesiology and Health Science
York University

Shabnem Afzal
Road Safety and Regional Lead
WATT Consulting Group (previously Vision Zero leader, City of Surrey)

Vision Zero: The Next Generation (2022) 

The next generation has spoken, and they are in favour of Vision Zero. Based on a survey done by Desjardins in 2022, 61 per cent of survey respondents between the age of 16-34 support the adoption of a Vision Zero strategy in their region and 56 per cent support increasing government funding for Vision Zero. Road crashes are the third-leading cause of death among young people ages 15 to 24 in Canada. Moderator Umayangga Yogalingam discusses Vision Zero: The Next Generation with Priynka Patil from Parachute, Sana’ Khasawneh, Junior Project Manager at YOURS, and Arianne Khorasani, Max Novak and Emily Shibata, members from our Canadian Youth Road Safety Council. Together, they discuss the value of engaging youth in Vision Zero action and hear the voices of youth on their experience with road safety in Canada.

The role of technology and data in Vision Zero interventions (2022)

Moderator Valerie Smith, Director, Programs at Parachute, is in conversation with panelists from Liveable Cities, the City of Brantford, Ontario, and the City of Bellevue, Washington, as they discuss the role of technology and data in Vision Zero and road safety strategies. This webinar is of interest to municipal city planners, road safety professionals and road safety researchers.

In this webinar, we hear from David Ferguson, Manager of Traffic Services at the City of Brantford, who speaks to his experience of integrating technology into Vision Zero road safety work. Ferguson supports the use of technology to assist practitioners in improving road safety for all road users. His previous role was Superintendent of Traffic Engineering with the City of Hamilton.

Ken Cartmill, Executive Vice President of Product Development from Livable Cities presents on their technology solution that collects data on road activities, vehicle speed, traffic analytics, air quality, ambient noise and more. He speaks to how this data can be used for evidence-based decision-making to deploy targeted enforcement, traffic calming measures or other urban and mobility planning applications.

Franz Loewenherz, Mobility Planning and Solutions Manager, City of Bellevue, Washington, speaks to his experience in integrating technology and data into Vision Zero and road safety strategies. He shares his work in the City of Bellevue, as well as speak more generally about the important role of technology and data in Vision Zero and road safety interventions.

Cycling in Canada: Pedalling toward sustainable climate action and Vision Zero (2022)

Parachute and moderator Dr. Linda Rothman, Assistant Professor, School of Occupational and Public Health, Ryerson University, in conversation with panellists from Velo Canada Bikes and Ecology Action Centre.

In this webinar, you hear from Brian Pincott, Executive Director, Velo Canada Bikes, about the new National Active Transportation Strategy and the need for safe and accessible cycling as a transportation option. Pincott also discusses cycling in the context of new Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030, and Vision Zero.

Anika Riopel, Sustainable Transportation Co-ordinator, Ecology Action Centre, talks about cycling and the role it plays in creating sustainable cities and addressing climate change. Riopel also shares information about their projects to make cycling and sustainable transportation decisions easy. The webinar includes a facilitated Q&A session.

Encouraging active transportation for children (2022)

Active transportation – such as waking, biking and wheeling – are sustainable forms of mobility that not only gets us to where we want to go, but also improve our physical and mental wellbeing. Join moderator Pamela Fuselli, President & CEO of Parachute, as we discuss how to create and sustain active spaces for children to get to and from school and move though their communities safely.

Taking Action: The Global Plan for the New Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 (2022)

This free webinar provides an overview of the Global Plan for the Decade of Action for Road Safety, 2021-2030, shares the regional call to action for Canada and discusses next steps. We also share information about the upcoming #CommitToAct 2022 campaign, running from May 16 to 20, and discuss the role NGOs, local government and other stakeholders can play to encourage their government leaders to make specific, meaningful commitments to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries.

The Global Plan for the New Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030: What You Need to Know (2021)

Decade of Action for Road Safety 2021-2030 has been proclaimed by a UN General Assembly Resolution with a target to reduce road traffic deaths and injuries by 50 per cent by 2030, recognizing the gravity of this global issue.

The Decade of Action is underpinned by the Global Plan, launched Oct. 28, 2021, which aims to inspire and guide national and local government, as well other stakeholders who can influence road safety. Those include civil society, academia, the private sector, donors, community and youth leaders, and other stakeholders as they develop supporting national and local action plans and targets. Through advocating for the Safe Systems Approach and providing recommendations based on best practices and research, the plan is an important resource both within Canada and abroad.

This webinar provides an overview of the Global Plan, including three parts of road safety action: what to do, how to do it and who does it. Panelists also discuss how road safety needs to be integrated into other policy agendas such as climate action and equity, to increase its reach and influence. The webinar also refers to Canada’s Road Safety Strategy 2025.

Perceptions of Vision Zero in Canada (2020)

Parachute’s President and CEO, Pamela Fuselli, is in conversation with a panel of journalists from across Canada to discuss perceptions of road safety in our communities and Vision Zero measures being implemented by Canadian jurisdictions. Are they working? Do people think they’re working?

Panelists: Jason Magder, transportation reporter, Montreal Gazette; Elizabeth Payne, reporter, Ottawa Citizen; Ben Spurr, transportation reporter, Toronto Star; Jason Tchir, freelance journalist and columnist, Vancouver, B.C. Note this is an audio-only recording.

Why are cars made to go that fast? Speeding and road safety during COVID-19 (2020)

JoinParachute’s President and CEO, Pamela Fuselli, is in conversation with a panel of experts to discuss the road safety and public health concerns due to the recent spike in speeding and stunt driving on now-emptier roads across Canada, the reasons why drivers speed, and what we can do about it.

Panelists: Ken Lindhardsen, Vice-President of Accident Benefits and Benefits and Bodily Injury for Desjardins; David Mele, Product Planning Manager at Volvo Cars Canada; Sgt. Kerry Schmidt, Ontario Provincial Police Highway Safety Division; Dr. Christine Wickens, Independent Scientist with the Institute for Mental Health Policy Research at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Imagining Car Use and Road Safety Post COVID-19 (2020)

Parachute’s President and CEO, Pamela Fuselli, discusses with a panel of experts to discuss international examples such as Milan’s proposal to permanently reallocate street space from cars to cycling and walking following the COVID-19 crisis, what this could look like in a Canadian context and how we can all advocate for changes.

Panelists; Rachel MacCleery, Senior Vice President at the Urban Land Institute, Building Healthy Places Initiative Washington, DC; Robin Mazumder, Vanier Scholar and Urban Neuroscientist, Waterloo ON; and Craig Milligan, Road Safety Engineer and CEO at MicroTraffic, Winnipeg MN

Thinking Differently – A look at Canadian cities’ immediate response to COVID-19 to make space for social distancing (2020)

Parachute’s President and CEO, Pamela Fuselli, discusses with a panel of experts the current and next phase of Canadian road use post-COVID-19 as restrictions are lifted.

Panelists; Bartek Komorowski, Planning Advisor, Road Safety and Human Behaviour, Ville de Montréal; Linda Rothman, Assistant Professor, School of Occupational and Public Health, Ryerson University, Toronto; and Brent Toderian, Urban design and planning consultant, TODERIAN UrbanWORKS, Vancouver.

COVID-19, Safer Roads and Urban Planning (2020)

Jennifer Keesmaat, former Toronto chief city planner, and Oliver Moore, urban affairs reporter at the Globe and Mail, discuss safe streets and urban planning in the context of COVID-19 and the lessons that we can learn from it. Facilitated by Pamela Fuselli, President and CEO, Parachute.

Vision Zero in Canada (2019)

Parachute Interim CEO, Pamela Fuselli, speaks about Vision Zero in Canada as keynote speaker at the Canadian Association of Road Safety Professionals conference in Calgary (30 minutes).

Distracted Driving: Changing the Culture (2018)

A Vision Zero panel discussion held at Espace Desjardins, Montreal. A panel of experts discuss the dangers of distracted driving and what is being done to counter it (60 minutes).

A panel discussion on Safe School Zones: Vision Zero neighbourhood by neighbourhood (2018)

This moderated discussion features four panelists filmed at the Children’s Safety Village in Oakville. The discussion explores: What does a Safe School Zone look like under the Vision Zero framework? Can it work in your community? What are some of the issues and solutions around collision prevention in school zones? (50 minutes)
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