Road to Success THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC TRANSIT IN BC Steve Vanagas electric provincial fleet in all vehicle “The big picture for us at BC You can’t talk about social and classifications by 2040. Transit is that electric buses will not economic success without looking at “The exciting part about a public only be reducing emissions out of Erinn Pinkerton what public transportation is doing agency, given our size and our ability the tailpipe, but they will be quieter, some of the benefits that technology when it comes to reducing its carbon to work with others like BC Hydro which is essential for community brings by offering more dynamic footprint. Currently transportation and the provincial and federal roads and on-demand services,” by drone…anything is possible,” transit,” says Pinkerton. is said to produce 24 per cent of governments, is that we can accelerate says Pinkerton. says Erinn Pinkerton, BCom ’01. Increasing passenger numbers is Canada’s total emissions. And while a program more quickly than an On-demand services, you say? Pinkerton is president and CEO of helping drive this innovative mindset public transportation produces individual car owner deciding to go Yes, don’t be surprised if in the next BC Transit, the provincial Crown as more people leave their cars at significantly less greenhouse gas electric,” says Pinkerton. few years you can book a door- corporation responsible for delivering home and rely on public transportation emissions per passenger kilometer This summer TransLink introduced to-door public transportation by Natalie Bruckner public transportation across the as their main means of getting around. than private vehicles, the service on your phone...from province, with the exception of those “Over the past three years, ridership sector is looking to further anywhere. Rather than being ELCOME ONBOARD “THE INDUSTRY IS CHANGING areas serviced by TransLink (Metro on TransLink’s system has grown by reduce its impact. your personalized drone concerned about the increasing “ Vancouver). 18 per cent—the largest increase in all “The industry is changing carrier. Please be sure you SINCE WE KNOW WE CAN’T BUILD popularity of ride shares, public W Over the past five years, public of North America and far outpacing since we know we can’t build are safely buckled up before take off. transportation is embracing it transportation in BC has undergone the growth in local population ourselves out of congestion OURSELVES OUT OF CONGESTION We will be arriving at your destination and the opportunities it presents. a massive change, but this is just the and employment,” explains Steve anymore and there needs to ANYMORE AND THERE NEEDS TO “It’s exciting to see the in less than three minutes. Sit back beginning. Vanagas, MBA ’01 and vice president, be an alternative solution. choices that people are going and enjoy the ride and don’t forget Increasingly stringent emission communications, marketing and public Customers today are not BE AN ALTERNATIVE SOLUTION.” to have. Fast, frequent bus and to provide us with feedback via our regulations, advancements in affairs at TransLink. “We are in the choosing transit solely based rapid transit, ride sharing and online virtual assistant.” technologies, market disrupters like midst of a $9-billion plan to improve on finances, but because they see it its battery-electric bus pilot—a car-sharing, e-bikes and e-scooters— While this may read like something ride-sharing as well as customer transit and transportation in the Metro as a green solution. It takes people $10-million project that will test how there will be more choices than out of a sci-fi book, the idea of expectations are just some of the Vancouver region.” off the roads, and that’s why we are well buses powered by fast-charging passenger-carrying drones as a mode of reasons BC Transit and TransLink are BC Transit has also seen an increase moving to a zero-emission fleet,” batteries work. TransLink started ever before. We see TransLink as public transit isn’t so far-fetched when exploring ideas that may have been in ridership, growing by six per cent says Pinkerton. rolling out the electric buses for a being central to ensuring that those you consider the advancements that laughed out of the boardroom just a in 2018-2019 to just over 57 million In July, BC Transit announced two-and-a-half year trial on Route choices help reduce congestion, the sector has recently made here in few years ago. passenger trips annually. The trend is the launch of the low carbon 100, travelling along Marine Drive create more opportunity and make British Columbia. “The industry is changing as expected to continue in both regions. fleet program that aligns with the through Vancouver, Burnaby and New our communities more sustainable,” “We often have discussions customer expectations are changing. “There is a new appreciation for Province of BC’s CleanBC plan, aids Westminster. High-powered charging says Vanagas. about transportation going into ‘the On a macro level, we have to make the vital role that public transportation provincial targets for greenhouse stations, capable of recharging the bus However, as Pinkerton says, it’s vertical,’ as we call it, especially sure we stay abreast of technology, and plays in the economic and social gas (GHG) emissions and supports batteries within four to seven minutes, not just about reducing emissions with companies like Amazon now at the micro level that means we are success of our communities,” says local government climate action are being installed at each end of the and creating more efficient service, moving into that realm with deliveries considering what we can do to mirror Vanagas. Services; (left)Photo Vanagas UVic Photos: (right) courtesy of Steve goals. Its target is to create a fully route. but about the emotional connection. 10 UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA | FALL/WINTER 2019 BUSINESS CLASS | PETER B. GUSTAVSON SCHOOL OF BUSINESS 11 “When you look at Uber and Lyft technology to pay for fares on their Q&A coming into the province, anyone who phones. “The traditional approach Q&A with Erinn Pinkerton has taken one is not excited because with the fare card means the backend with Steve Vanagas wanted to take on larger roles, I had to dedicate it’s an Uber or Lyft, but because it’s system has to be up-to-date; you myself to deliberately learning the art and your customer. All the courses you take interactive: you get to book your trip, have to administer the cards, and science of leadership and management. at Gustavson—accounting, finance, et know where your driver is and his or if they get lost, it is a bureaucratic What would your advice be to grads cetera—are focused on the customer, her name. You know where they are and administrative challenge. When wanting to enter the transportation which is essential in business. taking you, you have the convenience customers bring their phones on sector? of paying for it on your phone, and you the bus, they bring their own tickets What would your advice be to grads There is a big focus on planning and can rate your driver,” says Pinkerton. and remove everything we have to wanting to enter the transportation operations in the transportation sector. Local transit has already started do on the back end. We are actively sector? So if those are fields that interest you as a making headway in this realm. Since pursuing the product right now with In the transportation industry you are part graduate, transportation offers some great 2018, BC Transit real-time bus location the goal that within the year we have opportunities to develop a career. I would of so much. At the core, we are running technology (NextRide) has rolled out something started,” says Pinkerton. a business. But you’re also focused on add another piece of advice: learn strong in seven transit systems, including Pinkerton and Vanagas understand communication skills. If you want to progress customers and at the same time involved Victoria, Nanaimo, Comox Valley, that by working in transportation, in municipal, provincial and federal in any career, it’s essential to learn how to We understand you are BC born Squamish, Whistler, Kamloops and well, no two days are ever the same. funding and advocacy. You get to be part communicate and work with your colleagues, and raised? Kelowna. It allows customers to use “Technology is changing, so we need We understand you are BC born of a big solution and big picture that your teams and your customers. BC Transit’s website or their mobile to be sure we are nimble enough and and raised? I was born and raised right here in Victoria. covers a wide range of experiences. What are the unique challenges devices to track the location of their choose our products wisely, and we I was born and raised in North Vancouver. I’m Can you sum up what BC Transit does? transportation faces here in BC? What are the unique challenges bus. It also helps remove barriers for are not stuck on legacy systems. It’s a married with three boys—the oldest has just From small towns to large urban centres, transportation faces in BC? the visually impaired by enabling hard thing to get to. If we wait until it’s finished the BCom program at UVic. Like most other sectors, we are facing the BC Transit transports more than 57 million challenge of new technology, new entrants Our clock resets every night. Every day is a automatic next stop annunciation, perfect, we won’t ever get anywhere,” Can you sum up what TransLink does? customers in communities across the new opportunity.