Overview
Transportation is a critical component of the Canadian economic infrastructure, especially in Ottawa. An early nation-building tool, it has become essential to the well-being of Canadians and their standard of living. However, it is getting harder for the transportation system to deliver what Canada needs as a trading nation due to the effects of climate change, global conflicts, economic uncertainty, and accelerating change in the nature of urban mobility needs. We have seen this firsthand in Ottawa in particular.
There is a dearth in Canada of institutionally-delivered education in transportation policy. The subject has been largely invisible over much of the past decades. Not surprisingly, capacity in planning and executing transportation policy at all government levels have declined. We have seen the results all over the country: faltering supply chains, inadequate oversight of spending on infrastructure, more challenging urban mobility, and regulations that have negative consequences.
The vision at the core of the Transportation Policy Innovation Centre (TPIC), housed in the School of Public Policy and Administration, is to improve Canada’s transportation performance by educating a new generation of highly-effective transportation analysts and senior officials. Each year, the TPIC delivers two Master’s-level courses (Aviation Policy and Canadian Transportation Policy) that have earned glowing reviews from the students.
The Background
Transportation touches every facet of our lives from urban transportation to bringing Canadian goods and services to markets around the world. However, this critical industry is heavily regulated. The degree to which this regulatory environment supports or hinders the financial viability of the transportation sector is highly dependent on the level of governmental policy expertise.
The cause of the present campaign is to increase the number of knowledgeable Carleton graduate students who will join the ranks of professionals to manage and oversee a more reliable, efficient, safe, and sustainable Canadian transportation system. Your support will help bring talented Carleton graduate students to a high level of transportation policy knowledge and will motivate them to start successful careers in this sector.
The Rollout
The funds raised will contribute to the development of future transportation policy leaders through the purchase of vital teaching tools, the organization of industry engagement events and associated program delivery costs.
The Impact
Your support will enable the TPIC to increase the flow rate into the federal public service of high-potential policy alumni who have a solid base of knowledge in transportation policy. With each passing year, these efforts will help reduce the shortfall in policy expertise to the benefit of the reliability, efficiency, safety and sustainability of the Canadian transportation system.