events

How a city plans and manages its public transport is shaped not only by infrastructure and investment, but by the quality of its institutions: their mandate, governance structures, financing arrangements, and capacity to use data for informed decision-making. As African cities face rapidly growing mobility demands, building effective metropolitan transport authorities has never been more urgent.

On April 9, 2026, the African Association of Urban Mobility Authorities (AUMA) and Africa Transport Policy Program (SSATP) brought together the experience of ARTM in Greater Montreal and Africa's urban mobility authorities to explore what works, and what it takes to make it work.

Drawing on the experience of ARTM (Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain), the Metropolitan Regional Transport Authority of Greater Montreal, this webinar examined the institutional and operational foundations that underpin effective metropolitan public transport management. Since its establishment by the Government of Quebec in 2017, ARTM has served as the organizing authority responsible for planning, financing, organizing, and promoting an integrated transit network across one of North America's most complex metropolitan regions. Its experience offered a rich case study in multi-stakeholder governance, coordinated financing, and data-driven planning. The session explored:

• The institutional architecture of metropolitan transport governance, including mandate, authority, partnerships between levels of government, and financing mechanisms
• How data is used in practice to support planning, optimize operations, and guide decision-making
• The opportunities and constraints faced by African urban mobility authorities, and what can be learned from, and shared with, international counterparts

The webinar was designed as a genuine dialogue, creating space for African urban mobility authorities to reflect on shared challenges, articulate their own realities, and identify lessons that travel in both directions.

Webinar Materials

• Webinar video recording
• The Metropolitan Regional Transportation Authority in Montreal: A unique model in the North American context - Ludwig Desjardins, Executive Director, Development and Performance, Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM) 
• Data and Analytics for Metropolitan Mobility: Leveraging data for sustainable and efficient mobility - Hamzeh Alizadeh, Director, Data and Analytics, Autorité régionale de transport métropolitain (ARTM)