In late February, Alstom finalized a contract to provide 34 light rail vehicles and 30 years of maintenance services to the Rideau Transit Group consortium that was selected to design, build, finance and maintain the first line of the Ottawa Light Rapid Transit system.

Although nothing new, employment generation is the renewed focus of new federal and local spending on rapid transit projects.

One option to help keep costs down is replacing older vehicles through an accelerated vehicle acquisition plan that uses municipal leases. With tight credit markets and limited access to capital markets, this is an efficient, less costly option.

Previous EXPO themes of security took a back seat to issues such as fuel prices and global warming. Major evidence of this shift was the dominant presence of hybrid vehicles on the show floor, as well as other eco-friendly product offerings. Off the show floor, session topics focused on dealing with rising operational costs, federal reauthorization, public-private partnerships, customer service and sustainability.