Transforming Canadian Cities: Toward Equitable and Decarbonized Urban Transportation through Electrification, Automation, Shared Use, and Transit-Oriented Development

Summary

The February 2025 announcement of the Alto high-speed rail network signaled bold ambition for decarbonizing Canada’s transportation infrastructure—but also revived skepticism about political timing, feasibility, and follow-through. Delivering on electrified transit promises will require more than rail lines: it demands integrated, equitable planning rooted in real-world conditions.

This project will chart a path toward a resilient, electrified transportation ecosystem anchored in Transit-Oriented Development (TOD). Through a mix of engineering, policy, and spatial analysis, the team will study how electrified, automated, and shared-use transit systems can succeed within Canada’s social and infrastructural realities—while ensuring equitable access and minimizing burdens on low-income communities.

Aligned with Volt-Age’s core themes, the work will generate new intellectual property to produce actionable insights on TOD policy and governance, train future experts, and catalyze collaboration across sectors. The goal: to help Canada meet its climate targets through smarter, fairer, transit-driven development.