Q&A with Toronto Parking Authority
This September, NABSA will convene its annual conference in Hamilton and Toronto, Ontario. The NABSA Annual Conference is the leading global venue for shared micromobility and transportation leaders, practitioners, operators, and equipment providers to tackle important issues facing the industry.
We caught up with Justin Hanna, Director of Bike Share Toronto at Toronto Parking Authority to talk about the conference, shared micromobility, and more! Here are some of his thoughts:
Q: What is the significance of the conference being hosted in Hamilton & Toronto?
A: It is significant for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is the first time that NABSA is hosted by two cities. Hamilton and Toronto are neighbours and both doing some interesting things in micro mobility, so to have both cities host will be interesting.
Secondly, it fits in with this year’s theme – Connecting People & Places. With two cities= hosting the conference, participants will get, first-hand, a double dose of information on micromobility projects taking place in Ontario.
Q: What does hosting the conference mean for the Toronto Parking Authority, and why did you want to host?
A: The NABSA Conference is the leading global venue for anyone in the field of shared micromobility and transportation, so the Toronto Parking Authority is very proud to host this year. It gives us at Bike Share Toronto an opportunity to share all that we are doing in micromobility.
Q: What’s your favorite experience from a past conference?
A: Last year’s NABSA Conference was my first. My favorite part of the conference was the ability to network with other professionals from across North and South America. I also enjoy being able to see how different cities are integrating micromobility systems into their infrastructure and transportation networks.
Q: What are you most excited about for the 2023 conference?
A: This industry is growing at a rapid pace, so we are very much looking forward to reconnecting with industry leaders and learning about the latest and greatest in micromobility.
Q: What do you want people to experience in the mobile workshops?
A: The smaller group format of the workshops provides an opportunity to better delve into issues and have more in-depth discussions in specific areas. We hope participants find them interesting and gain some knowledge.
Q: If there’s one place people should see while they’re in Hamilton, where should they go?
A: There are so many places to see in Toronto! I would recommend that people visit Toronto’s historic distillery district for a nice lunch or happy hour. I would also recommend people take in Toronto’s waterfront and bike along the trails, and if you are a bit of a foodie and cocktail connoisseur, Toronto’s little Italy district if yours to explore!
Q: What’s a recently completed project that you’re excited to share with conference attendees?
A: We were thrilled to announce in May that Tangerine Bank is the new Exclusive Presenting Partner of the Bike Share Toronto program. It’s an exciting partnership that will help create simple and easy ways to move Toronto forward and will support numerous Bike Share Toronto initiatives included in its Four-Year Growth Plan.
Q: Why do you value your NABSA membership?
A: It’s important to stay current in the field of micromobility and transportation. Being a member of NABSA helps us connect and learn from industry leaders and spark new ideas.
For more information and to register for the conference, go to nabsa.net/2023conference.