New Westminster—Transportation is a hot topic at New Westminster’s Innovation Week, which runs February 23rd to March 3rd, and attendees can expect a variety of events on the subject. Some noteworthy transportation-themed events that will be featured during the week are Hack Our City on February 24th and 25th, and the Transportation Forum and Mobility Pricing Independent Commission Open House with Transportation Panel on March 1st.

"We all need to talk about transportation," said Mayor Jonathan Coté. "It impacts us regionally, municipally, and individually. Having a conversation and learning from one another about innovations in transportation planning is critical in ensuring liveable cities, economic growth, and regional movement for the future. That's why I am so pleased our community is able to host the transportation focused events that are a part of this year's Innovation Week."

The public is invited to watch the presentations and awards at Hack Our City, a two-day Hack-a-thon focused on apps and projects with a transportation theme on February 24th and 25th and sponsored by Amazon, Douglas College, and TransLink. The presentations will get started at 3:00 pm on February 25th at Douglas College’s New Westminster Campus in lecture theatre N2201.

The Transportation Forum, hosted by the City of New Westminster and sponsored by TransLink, will be a full day of learning and sharing for planning and transportation practitioners on March 1^st.

“With more than a million people coming to Metro Vancouver over the next 30 years, we all need to work together on new and innovative ways to move people and tackle congestion. We have to grow the transit system and the region needs to think big for this to happen,” said Kevin Desmond, CEO, TransLink. “This is an exciting time to talk about new technologies and events like this are great platforms to have these conversations.”

From 10:00 am to 5:00 pm at Anvil Centre, public- and private-sector transportation practitioners are invited to a free, day-long forum divided into three panels: Open Data 101 and Data in Your Community; Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure; and Autonomous Vehicles.  

Then, from 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm, the public is invited to join the day’s attendees and the It’s Time team to learn more about the Mobility Pricing Independent Commission (MPIC), and to hear from an incredible panel moderated by Mayor Coté. The panel features: Joy MacPhail, Vice Chair of the Mobility Pricing Independent Commission; Brent Toderian, Urban Planner and Consultant; and Marc Lee, Senior Economist, as well as the keynote speaker from the morning, Robin Chase. This event is an opportunity to learn how the MPIC’s proposals could affect residents of Metro Vancouver.

Other notable events associated with Innovation Week are Metro Conversations: The Future of Transportation, Energy Save New West Open House, Intelligent New West: A Smart Cities Dialogue, Liveable Cities Symposium, and various family-friendly and arts-themed events. For more information on transportation-related events taking place during New Westminster’s Innovation Week and to register for events, visit innovatenewwest.ca.

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Contacts:
Ruby Campbell
Intergovernmental and Community Partnerships Manager
604-515-3821 or