David Zipper, senior fellow at the MIT Mobility Initiative and transportation policy expert, recently joined Good Roads Podcast hosts Thomas Barakat and Andrew Blackburn. Zipper shared his insights on the future of urban mobility, from changes in U.S. transportation policy to Ontario’s bike lane battles. In this interview, we explore the big-picture shifts Zipper anticipates and the lessons Canadian cities might take from global trends.

In this episode, we dive into the complexities of municipal winter maintenance with expert instructors from Good Roads Snow School.

As winter approaches, learn essential strategies and solutions to keep your roads safe and communities secure. Scott Holmes and Darnell Bernardo share insights on planning, equipment, and best practices for navigating the challenges that come with snow and ice.

Whether you’re in a rural or urban setting, this discussion will equip you with the knowledge needed to tackle winter head-on. Don’t miss this valuable conversation on mastering municipal winter maintenance.

In Episode 34 of the Good Roads Podcast, Jared and guest host Dr. James Smith interview Brian Keierleber, the County Engineer for Buchanan County, Iowa.

Brian is a a keynote speaker for the upcoming Low Volume Roads workshop in October. Many municipalities responsible for low volume roads share the same pain points and Mr. Keierleber discusses bridge construction, maintenance of low volume roads, and cost-saving strategies to help you and your municipality effectively maintain this type of roadway.

Discover the innovative techniques and sustainable solutions Brian has implemented to enhance infrastructure in rural areas. Tune in for an insightful discussion on the challenges and future of rural transportation networks, with a focus on cost efficiency.

In this episode of the Good Roads Podcast, host Jared LeMay dives into the ambitious Downtown Revitalization Project in Brantford. With guest Gagan Batra, Manager of Business Support and Sustainability, they explore the city’s plans to transform its car-centric downtown into a vibrant, pedestrian and cyclist-friendly space.

They discuss the current state of downtown Brantford, the challenges faced in implementing such a project, and the inspiration behind these forward-thinking urban planning strategies. Gagan shares insights on overcoming financial, council, and public buy-in hurdles while addressing issues like homelessness and the impact on local students.

The episode offers valuable lessons for other municipalities considering similar projects. Don’t miss this deep dive into innovative urban planning and the future of Brantford’s downtown.

In this episode of the Good Roads Podcast, Thomas and Jared talk with renowned climate scientist, and keynote speaker at the 2024 Good Roads Conference, Katharine Hayhoe. Hayhoe dives deep into the complexities of climate change, offering insightful perspectives on its impact and the urgency of action.

Through her engaging storytelling and expertise, she navigates the intersection of climate science and society. Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of climate change and discover pathways towards a sustainable future.

In this compelling episode of the Good Roads podcast, hosts Thomas and Jared engage in a thought-provoking conversation with urban planner and renowned walkability advocate, Jeff Speck.

The trio delves into the transformative concept of walkable cities and its profound impact on the urban landscape.

Jeff Speck, with his extensive expertise in urban design and planning, shares valuable insights on how creating walkable environments not only enhances the quality of life for residents but also contributes to sustainable and resilient urban development.

Thomas and Jared enter their second day of training on the path to becoming Certified Road Safety Auditors through Good Roads’ new course.

After a long day of class, they sit down with course directors Kenn Beer and Max McCardel to discuss how students of the course will revolutionize road safety. Road Safety Auditors will help municipalities identify problem areas on roads which will not only money save money, but lives as well.

Tune in to hear how the practice of road safety auditing is poised to become a gamechanger in Ontario.

In episode 29 of the Good Roads Podcast, Thomas and Jared explore the inspiring collaboration between municipalities and Indigenous communities as they navigate sustainable resource extraction, from minerals to LNG.

Join us in this insightful conversation on fostering partnerships that prioritize environmental stewardship, mutual benefit, and taking meaningful steps towards reconciliation through trust and collaboration.

On this episode of the Good Roads Podcast, Thomas and Jared speak with Dr. Nicholas Duck, an organizational psychologist and head of Opposite, a company that looks at human factors when approaching road safety.

So often the discussion of road safety and Vision Zero is centred on design. In this conversation, Nicholas explains that if we take into account how people behave in a given space, we can better utilize and design spaces that are not only more functional for people, but safer as well.

Tune in to hear how the “Opposite” approach can better serve your municipality.

On this episode of the Good Roads Podcast, Thomas and Jared speak with Pierre Ranger, Chair of the Let’s Remember Adam: Stop for the School Bus campaign. Pierre addressed delegates at the 2023 Good Roads Conference, speaking about his brother’s untimely death after getting off a school bus.

This conversation expands on Pierre’s remarks and examines what can, and is, being done to prevent future tragedies.

Sunil Johal, the Vice President of Public Policy at the CSA Group joins Thomas & Jared on the Good Roads Podcast ahead of this address at the Good Roads Conference. The CSA Group released a report entitled Navigating Complexity: Policy Making for an Evolving World which investigates some of the big shifts happening in society.

Sunil discusses some of these trends and prescribes solutions on how decision makers can best address these changes. Hear what Sunil has to say about declining trust, climate change, remote work, and digitization of government.

On this episode of the Good Roads Podcast Thomas and Jared talk to Brent Toderian, a renowned urbanist and city planner, and keynote speaker at this year’s Good Roads Conference.

In this episode, we discuss some of the most pressing issues facing the transportation industry and how cities can plan and design their roads and transportation systems to better serve their communities.

Join us and learn how municipalities and cities both big and small can take a creative approach, as well as ideas from other cities, and apply them at home to create a tighter community.

With the Good Roads Conference fast approaching, Thomas and Jared reach halfway across the world to chat with conference speaker Kenn Beer of Safe System Solutions.

Together they discuss road safety audits and how they have helped create safer roads, not only in Australia, but around the world. With

Good Roads bringing this system to Ontario, hear about how it can help your municipality create safer roads for your community.

On the latest episode of the Good Roads Podcast, Jared and Thomas speak with Mike Schreiner, Leader of the Ontario Green Party. The three delved into Bill 23 and its effects on municipalities and two new Green bills which aim to tackle the housing crisis.

The conversation also included a discussion on road safety, electric vehicles, and Ontario’s future energy mix. For all this and more, tune into the latest episode of the Good Roads Podcast.

An important issue councillors and mayors across Ontario are always hearing about from their constituents is speeding – especially in school and community safety zones. But what is the best way to slow drivers down to help protect the most vulnerable in our community?

Geoff Wilkinson of the Ontario Traffic Council joins the Good Roads Podcast to discuss Automated Speed Enforcement (ASE) and how it can help reduce speeding in critical areas in your municipality.

Tune in to this episode as we go in-depth on all aspects of ASE, from its poor public perception to implementation options, to helping you decide if this is the right solution to address speeding in your municipality.

With municipalities looking for any way to curb the increases in municipal insurance costs, we take a look at joint and several liability for another perspective.

Our guests this week, from Advantage Forensics, talk to us about their upcoming Good Roads course, Municipal Liability – Traffic Collisions, where they provide an in-depth understanding of municipalities’ exposure to liability due to their legal obligation to provide safe road facilities to the public, and how to avoid that costly exposure.

Tune in to this episode of the podcast to find out how to avoid the perils of joint and several liability by reducing your exposure to liability in the first place.

With October being Cyber Security Awareness Month, Good Roads spoke with the Executive Director of the National Cybersecurity Alliance to discuss the threats to municipalities in the digital landscape.

In this conversation, listeners will learn how social engineering makes up most cyber crimes. We discuss how and why these crimes are perpetrated and what other municipalities and industries are doing to mitigate cyber threats.

To help prevent your municipality from falling prey to nefarious online actors, tune in to this episode of the Good Roads Podcast.

With municipal elections in full swing, Aakash Desai, the outgoing Deputy Mayor of Grey Highlands, joined the Good Roads Podcast to reflect on his time in office.

In this conversation, Aakash opened up about why he and so many other elected officials have opted not to run again. He also spoke to the challenge of balancing long-term issues such as asset management with the four-year election cycle and offered insights on why voter apathy appears to be rising.

To hear more about the challenges to local government, tune in to the Good Roads Podcast.

With the 2022 provincial election campaign in high gear, Thomas and Jared take a deep dive into the party platforms to see how they line up with the municipal infrastructure & transportation priorities identified by Good Roads:

1. Sustainable Infrastructure Funding
2. Safe Public Infrastructure
3. Adapting to a Changing Climate
4. Relief From Skyrocketing Insurance Premiums
5. A Trusted Partner for the Future

To hear how the parties plan to address these priorities and more, take some time to listen to this extended episode before Ontarians go the polls on June 2.

Municipalities across Ontario are being asked to step up their game in terms of carbon reduction strategies. But the journey to net zero may just lie with a familiar face.

Shannon Joseph of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) joins Thomas and Jared on the Good Roads Podcast to discuss how an “all or nothing” approach to carbon reduction could actually be detrimental to a net zero future.

Hear why CAPP believes our standard of living, progress on emissions reduction, and Indigenous reconciliation could all be affected without a balance of energy sources – including natural gas and oil.

With the 2022 Good Roads Conference rapidly approaching, there’s no better time to get to know keynote speaker Bruce Katz.

Thomas and Jared speak with Bruce about what he calls “The New Localism”: a shift in power dynamics from federal governments to solutions-oriented local networks. These networks are spearheaded by municipal governments, who have the power to affect great change – whether they know it or not.

To hear Bruce speak about how municipalities can take advantage of these new dynamics, tune in to the latest episode of the Good Roads Podcast.

Have you ever wondered why your town is constantly struggling to fix its infrastructure? Does growth really pay for growth in the long-run? Do you know why its important to build both roads and streets?

For the answers to these questions and much more, tune in to the latest episode of the Good Roads Podcast, where Thomas and Jared chat with Charles Marohn, the Founder of Strong Towns. Charles will be headlining the 2022 Good Roads Conference.

Be sure to register to see him live in-person. Listen to find out how you can win a copy of his new book, Confessions of a Recovering Engineer.

The federal election is well underway and you may be wondering how each party’s platform sizes up against the most pressing municipal priorities. Thomas and Jared break down party platforms so you don’t have to. Tune in to see what the parties are promising and what this means for the sector over the next few years.

The devastating discoveries of the remains of Indigenous children on the lands of former residential schools has reignited the call for reconciliation across the country. While the federal and provincial governments have more clear-cut roles to play, many in the municipal sector are wondering what they can do to advance reconciliation.

Thomas and Jared speak with Hornepayne Mayor & OGRA Director Cheryl Fort. As only the second Indigenous female mayor in Ontario history, she is uniquely positioned to discuss the role of municipalities in the reconciliation process. After the podcast, Cheryl took the time to tell her family’s story as well as her experience growing up as an Indigenous person in Northern Ontario. Look for that story on YouTube with the link in the show notes.

Did you know that Renewable Natural Gas (RNG) can transform municipal fleets beyond carbon neutral – to carbon negative – in just a short time? What about the fact that it’s not only budget friendly, but could be a revenue generator as well?

Joey Cyples of Enbridge Gas joins Jared and Thomas on the latest episode of the podcast to discuss the transformation of municipal fleets and buildings for a net-zero world using RNG. Circling back to previous discussions on municipal energy transitions in Ontario, the conversation focuses on how this transition can be both simple and cost effective, citing real-world experiences such as the City of Hamilton’s new carbon negative bus. They also discuss what’s currently holding this transition back and how other countries such as the United States are well ahead.

As municipal insurance rates skyrocket across Ontario many municipalities are left wondering why.

Will reforming joint and several liability be the panacea to cure municipalities of these woes or is there more at play here than initially thought?

Join Thomas and Jared as they speak with Jessica Jaremchuk, Director of Risk Management Services at Intact Public Entities about the rising cost of municipal insurance and what municipalities can do to mitigate their growing insurance burden.

Thomas and Jared discuss the proposed Highway 413, its contribution to sprawl, and why that isn’t fiscally sustainable for Ontario’s municipalities.

Getting to a net-zero world can’t happen without local leadership. In this episode, and on the eve of his keynote speech at the 2021 OGRA Conference, Thomas and Jared sit down with former Toronto Mayor David Miller who argues that the solutions to solving the global climate crisis are already available.

Hear more about what he has to say on new American leadership, the role of smaller municipalities, and new technologies.

The rEVolution is upon us. Electric vehicles are making mainstream news for both their environmentally friendly appeal, and the quality they bring to the vehicle market. But how can Ontario municipalities get in on the ground floor and do they even want to?

Thomas and Jared sit down with Cara Clairman, CEO of Plug ‘n Drive to discuss EV’s in Ontario municipalities, the benefits and drawbacks, as well as dispelling the myths and half truths of the past decade. Cara will also be appearing at the 2021 OGRA Conference to further discuss EV’s in Ontario municipalities.

Do you understand the petroleum industry and everything they do for Canada? I bet you don’t. In this episode Thomas and Jared speak with Jarret Coels of the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers about how the oil and gas industry will help lead Canada into a new green future.

As a precursor to the OGRA Managing Winter Operations Workshop Thomas and Jared talk winter maintenance with the City of Pickering’s Manager of Public Works and OGRA past president, Rob Burlie.

With COVID-19 putting an unwanted twist on a season already rife with uncertainty, Rob shares his expertise and myriad of experiences including being involved with the Canadian Armed Forces being deployed to Toronto in 1999.

With his retirement on the horizon OGRA Executive Director Joe Tiernay sits down with Thomas and Jared to discuss his long and storied career in the municipal sector.

This is definitely a podcast you don’t want to miss, as Thomas and Jared talk to Joe about his time working in California and how that can be applied to Ontario, the past, present and future of Ontario municipalities. He also covers the division of the OGRA/ROMA conference.

In this episode Thomas and Jared add a plus one to the discussion on 2 + 1 roads, speaking with Mark Wilson about how the 2 + 1 road design can have a huge impact on safety in northern and rural communities across the province.

With municipalities planning the reopening of their communities after the COVID-19 epidemic, Thomas and Jared explore what challenges municipalities are facing now, will face in the future because of the shutdown and how municipalities can deal with the budgetary impact in the months to come.

Thomas and Jared are casting from the trade show floor of the 2020 OGRA Conference! It is Tuesday afternoon of the conference and Thomas and Jared discuss speakers who have appeared, upcoming speakers, and the relevance and value their insight into their respective topics has on the province. They are also joined briefly by a special guest from OGRA past!

In this episode Thomas and Jared discuss the upcoming OGRA Conference in February including keynote speaker Dr. James Orbinski, an e-scooter demonstration by Lime, and various workshops happening throughout the conference. They then delve into the world of electric vehicles and the opportunities presented for Ontario municipalities in the future.

In this episode Thomas and Jared discuss two articles from the 2019 Winter Edition of Milestones Magazine. An article on E-Scooters and their effect on Ontario roads is discussed followed by with a discussion about Vision Zero and OGRA’s discussion with the Ontario government about adopting this initiative.