COPE invites all members to join us for our 2024 Transit & Transportation Conference

On December 8th, COPE members will be meeting at the Japanese Hall to discuss Transit and Transportation Policy, and to make recommendations for the 2026 platform. This will be the first part of a multiple stage process to determine the 2026 COPE transit platform, focused primarily on collective deliberation.

Please RSVP if you intend to attend by scrolling all the way down.

Event details:

• December 8th, 2024 - Doors open at 1:15, with the program starting at 1:45 at latest.
• Japanese Hall - 487 Alexander St, Vancouver BC V6A 1C6
• Tatami Room, on the 5th floor (up the elevator), with spillover into a second room for breakout groups.
• Food will be served in the second half of the program.
• At the end of the day, the Co-Chairs will strike a General Policy Meeting to approve a series of motions based on the day's discussions, and enable the digital ballot. COPE members are invited to participate for the whole day, just the deliberation, or just the General Meeting as per their availability.
• A detailed schedule will be sent to all who RSVP in advance of the meeting.

If you're unsure if your membership is up to date, you can reach out to us via e-mail at [email protected], or renew your membership at this link.

The COPE executive and the COPE Transit and Transportation Policy Committee are piloting a new democratic structure for policy engagement for our 2024 Transit Policy Meeting.

First, on December 8th, we will be meeting in person to deliberate and discuss all the policy suggestions we recieve, testing what is most exciting to our members, seeking consensus, and also looking for what decisions must be determined by an all-member digital vote. At the end of the conference, COPE members will have a General Policy Meeting to approve a list of policies where there is clear consensus, and to set direction for the balloting process. If you, or your organization, would like to submit policy for consideration, you can reach us via our email at [email protected] or use this form.

Next, in the first half of January, a secure digital ballot will be sent to all active COPE members which will feature a large list of policy suggestions, and relevant information about their rationale and value to Vancouver. This vote will test support for a wide suite of policies, which will shape our 2026 transit platform.

Finally, the Transit and Transportation Policy Committee will bring forward a new COPE Transit Policy Document to membership for official ratification at the next COPE General Meeting.

We believe that this innovative democratic format will empower members, amplify the demands of movement groups, and create great policy while respecting people’s time and energy.

Note on COVID-19 / Flu Season Precautions

COPE is committed to disability justice. Please note that in solidarity with the immunocompromised and senior citizens, we will be requesting the use of masks to protect against the spread of COVID-19. You can bring your own mask if you have one. Otherwise, we will have free masks and sanitizer on site, and we will have a Corsi-Rosenthal box to aid in the filtration of air. We request that anyone who is feeling sick stay home and wait for the digital ballot. The event is wheelchair accessible.