Today’s youth will be tomorrow’s decision makers, which is why we have made it part of our mission to engage them in conversation. Last year I was fortunate enough to witness the amazing potential of Canadian youth firsthand when I served as co-chairman of national We Day. This year, we’re embarking on a tour of nine Canadian universities to talk to over 1,000 young Canadians about the future of passenger rail and the important role they can play in shaping it. At VIA Rail we have a lot of respect for students and the changes they can bring about. Their values and concerns align closely with those of VIA Rail, and will hopefully make the train a popular choice for future generations.
Young people today are mobile, but not in the way you’d expect. Only 63% of people between the ages of 16-24 in the US have a driver’s license – the lowest percentage since 1963.[1] To my generation, car keys represented freedom, but today, freedom is about being virtually connected with friends and family. In fact, 43% of millennials said they prefer communicating with their friends on social media as opposed seeing them in person.[2] Furthermore, the younger generation prefer public transportation or ride sharing because it means they can stay online while travelling. With free WIFI in our stations and on board all our trains from Halifax to Windsor, travelling with VIA Rail means staying connected and productive throughout your journey.
Furthermore, the youth of today have a green heart. The transport sector is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions so transportation choices have a big impact on overall environmental footprint. More and more millennials are guided by environmental consciousness and choose to take the train, public transit, walk or bike to reduce their carbon footprint. VIA Rail is proud to be one of the greenest travel choices, and to serve our customers in an environmentally sustainable and responsible manner. And our environmental impact will be further reduced with the realisation of our Dedicated Tracks Project.
Here is where we’ll be over the next few months. If you are a student at any of these schools, please come by and join the conversation:
- HEC (Université de Montréal): April 6, 2016.
- Université Laval: April 18, 2016
- John Molson School of Business (Concordia University), University of Ottawa, University of Guelph, Brock, and Ryerson: dates to be confirmed, stay tuned!
The youth of today are the future. And the future is taking the train.
[1] RTA, Chicago, Reaching New Riders
[2] ZipCar, Millenials and the new American Dream, 2014
The post The Youth Factor appeared first on VIAEvolution.
