Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you so much for the invitation.
It's my privilege to serve as the president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Transit Association, the organization that many of you may have come to know as CUTA.
With me is a member of our executive committee, Louise Poirier, who is our vice-chair, municipal councils.
I say it's my “privilege” to serve as CEO of the association because I feel passionately that serving CUTA's mandate of establishing public transit as the primary solution to urban mobility in Canada is at the cutting edge of public policy in this country, and touches so many of the important issues of the day.
As MPs, if you think about climate change or clean air, transit is front and centre as a solution. If you think about increasing our economic competitiveness based on efficient travel and commuting, you have to think of transit. If you think of healthy living and quality of life for the majority of Canadians, again, transit is there. Picture this: one city bus carries as many people as 50 cars, and one commuter train can replace 15 lanes of traffic.
I'm sure many committee members have also heard from constituents about the increasing cost of gasoline. Again, transit is the solution.
I'd also like to underscore that our transit systems have never been more optimistic about the future of public transit in this country. I can tell you from travelling across Canada that our members are engaged with the public, and there is a new spirit of cooperation about building and achieving greater things for Canada based on improved public transit.
Louise.