Overview
Left Turn Right Turn supports public transit agencies transform and modernize their operations.
Our transit experts have been consulting with public transit agencies since 2002 on all facets of transit projects, including strategic planning, technology procurement and implementation, policy and planning analysis. We bring unique expertise and vision to help transit agencies to chart a course and then realize greater efficiencies, performance, and increased customer satisfaction.
LTRT's founding principles are:
- Public transit is the most important asset to battling the growing gridlock and congestion in our transportation network.
- A positive transit experience will get people out of their cars and onto transit.
- Modernizing and optimizing our transit agencies will enhance the customer experience!
Learn More
LTRT has consulted with transit agencies ranging in size from 1 to 2000 vehicles, and have worked globally with experience in Canada, the United States, Latin America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Asia.
LTRT's Consultants
Yuval Grinspun, Chief Executive Officer
Yuval (PMP, P.Eng.) founded LTRT in 2014 to transform public transit. A lifelong transit buff, Yuval has been consulting with public transit agencies since 2002. Based in Toronto he has worked with transit agencies across the country and internationally to modernize their practices. Yuval brings experience engaging and responding to needs from all aspects of the transit business:
- Operations and service delivery,
- Service planning,
- Customer service,
- Maintenance,
- Marketing and communications,
- IT, and
- Management.
A transit consultant for dozens of agencies, his work has included project and program management, organizational strategy and roadmap development, business process reviews, procurements, technology/system implementations (design and testing), security assessments, business case assessments, change management, planning analysis and policy development.
Beyond transit, Yuval has way too many interests, including curling, strategy games, soccer, escape rooms, balloon twisting, genealogy, puzzle design and his family.
Contact Yuval at yuval@ltrt.ca. Yuval Grinspun, Principal
Cara Wilkie, Principal and Chief Operations Officer
Cara Wilkie (LLB, LLM) is a seasoned disability rights advisor and policy analyst, with experience working with the disability communities and organizations implementing accessibility legislation. She brings 13 years’ legal experience understanding regulatory obligations and various options for compliance.
Cara has served as advisor to multiple government, quasi-governmental and non-governmental organizations about accessibility legal obligations, including Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the Accessible Canada Act, and human rights legislation.
Contact Cara at cara@ltrt.ca.
Matt Lattavo, Transit Innovator
Applying innovative thinking to answer transit’s next big questions, Matt combines urban planning theory, management expertise, and engineering analysis to develop novel solutions for urban mobility. A life-long transit and transportation nerd, Matt has experience in transit service planning, strategic planning, technology implementations, and policy/ process development both within agencies and across the table from them.
As a Transit Innovator with LTRT, Matt contributes his wealth of understanding and enthusiasm for all-things urban to deliver solutions to transform transit agencies enabling them to grow beyond their prescribed mandate and become the traveler’s first choice mobility provider.
Matt’s love of urban planning and transportation extends well beyond his workplace. He’s been an avid rail buff for his entire life and is in the drawn-out processes of building his own model railway. When he isn’t geeking out over trains, Matt is gearing up for the next game of dodgeball or volleyball or planning out the next campaign for his table-top gaming group.
Contact Matt at matt@ltrt.ca.
Janany Ragunathan, Transit Innovator
Janany combines her Engineering and Business skills to transform the way we think about transit. Applying her experience with transportation agencies with her MBA (Strategy and Change Management), she innovates and achieves new realms of solutions to improve the transit experience.
Janany has experience in traffic signal design, master plan development, and stakeholder engagement strategies. She has been involved in the analysis and development of travel demand measures to mitigate the effects of congestion on urban road networks.
When she’s not working to transform public transit, Janany is a sci-fi buff, loves spending time with her friends, and enjoys photographing nature’s beautiful moments. At home, she enjoys reading books and is currently authoring her own time-travel novel.
Contact Janany at janany@ltrt.ca.
Ben Goodge, Transit Innovator
Ben (M.Pl) brings a dynamic, collaborative approach and broad industry experience. He is energetic and dedicated to the betterment of communities through the creation of more sustainable transportation networks. Ben has innovated and led projects in areas of service planning, community engagement, scheduling, and infrastructure planning.
A creative, strategic thinker, Ben is particularly adept in spatial analysis, community engagement and integrating transit planning with overarching land use and transportation planning processes. He has led network design planning including ridership modelling and designed community engagement frameworks.
Similar to his professional life, Ben’s personal life is spatially oriented and filled with curiosity. He loves active exploring, including hiking, biking, diving, paddling and skiing. A love of people is also central to his curiosity and you can often find him in informal social spaces such as coffee shops.
Contact Ben at ben@ltrt.ca.
Pia Dimayuga, Transit Innovator
Pia (MASc) is passionate about making communities more sustainable and resilient and sees transit as an integral piece of the puzzle. Harnessing her systems-level critical thinking skills and her strong stakeholder engagement skills, Pia works with transit agencies to enhance their services for the future of mobility.
Pia has worked on transit technology projects from procurement to implementation, with extensive experience in business process analysis and reengineering and stakeholder engagement. She additionally has experience with transportation systems beyond transit, including air transportation in remote northern Ontario. She understands the deep interconnections between transportation, the built environment more broadly, and individuals’ quality of life. She believes designing transit with a focus on people’s lived experience will make transit more accessible for all.
Outside of work, you’ll find Pia upcycling old textiles, singing, and potentially doing both at the same time. Since the pandemic and the great new bike lanes in Toronto, Pia has been brave and started biking around the city and exploring new neighbourhoods.
Contact Pia at pia@ltrt.ca.
Natalie Rose, Accessibility Specialist
Natalie Rose (PhD., M.Sc.OT) is a passionate disability and accessibility consultant with 10+ years of experience in accessibility, disability, research and teaching. She combines her knowledge of global best practices for accessibility, with a focus on learning directly from people with disabilities, in order to address barriers in the built and social environment.
Natalie has taught disabilities studies at the graduate and undergraduate level and has worked in the post-secondary environment supporting students with disabilities who require academic accommodations. She also has extensive experience conducting research, literature reviews and best practice analyses. Her doctoral dissertation focused on how people experience disability/impairment within romantic relationships.
In her spare time, Natalie enjoys quilting, board games and doting over her husband’s service dog Rush.
Contact Natalie at natalie@ltrt.ca.
Zoë Kenneally, Transit Supporter
Zoë is our first back office hire. She joins us to assist with proposals and internal communications as well as marketing and business development for LTRT. Her to-do list looks different every day, and she is excited about contributing to the innovations and improvement of public transit. She has a diverse background in administration, marketing and event management and is no stranger to wearing many hats at work.
When she isn’t working for LTRT, Zoë enjoys baking, embroidery and yoga and can’t wait to get back to traveling the world when she gets a chance. She has been dancing professionally for 10 years and is the co-creator of a dance collective called ZESTcreative, whose aim is to make dance accessible to non-dancers by performing in public spaces and engaging with the community.
Contact Zoë at zoe@ltrt.ca.
Christina Sugiura, Transit Explorer
Christina is a 4th year undergraduate student at the University of Waterloo, enrolled in the School of Urban Planning. As part of her co-operative education program, she joins LTRT to gain a practical understanding of the transit industry. Being a transit enthusiast, she is hoping to learn more about innovative transit technologies, services and systems that can work towards improving cities and towns for all.
During previous co-op terms Christina has explored working in both the private and public sector. Through these experiences, and her natural curiosity of the world, Christina has been drawn to the way transit networks function and particularly the way they play a role in the day-to-day lives of individuals.
Constantly looking for opportunities to learn about emerging transit technologies has led Christina to take on the role of Infrastructure Team Lead on the University of Waterloo’s Hyperloop Student Design Team (Waterloop) and to serve as a Director and Project Manager on the Canadian Hyperloop Conference. During her spare time, Christina enjoys being outdoors, trying new activities, and film photography!
Contact Christina at christina@ltrt.ca.
Kelly Cheung, Transit Explorer
Kelly is a recent graduate of the Planning program at the University of Waterloo. Her keen interest in transportation planning and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) has led her to constantly explore ways in which the manipulation of spatial data can facilitate the development of efficient urban transport systems. This includes coordinating a GIS project measuring transit accessibility in the City of Toronto that can allow mobility impaired individuals to navigate their way more effectively in the city. Understanding the vital role transportation systems play in providing safe and accessible mobility to one’s day to day life is ultimately what drives this passion.
She holds both public and private experience in conducting extensive feasibility studies, long-term strategic planning projects, and service planning within both the aviation and public transit field. She also has a knack for cartography and visual detail that helps bring those innovative solutions to life. Apart from being data-driven, she is people-driven, demonstrated through diverse experience in facilitating community engagement.
In her free time, she enjoys cooking (and baking) up a storm, honing up on her guitar skills, or just chilling with her cat. Oh, did I mention she likes making maps?
Contact Kelly at kelly@ltrt.ca.
Our Affiliates
John Ford
Mitch Underhay
Lorna Stewart
John Ford has enjoyed a career in public transit in excess of 35 years, including 25 years as Director of Transportation and Planning and Senior Manager with London (Ontario) Transit. John has extensive experience in business plan development, project management, strategic analysis, service analysis/design and promotion of transit locally
John Ford has enjoyed a career in public transit in excess of 35 years, including 25 years as Director of Transportation and Planning and Senior Manager with London (Ontario) Transit. John has extensive experience in business plan development, project management, strategic analysis, service analysis/design and promotion of transit locally and nationally (as Chair of CUTA’s Communications and Public Affairs Committee). In recognition of John’s contribution to public transit, he was awarded CUTA’s Lifetime Achievement Award and is a member of the CUTA Hall of Fame. John draws from his experience to provide public transit consulting services and insight into common challenges faced by transit agencies as they plan their business in a financially constrained environment.
Lorna Stewart
Mitch Underhay
Lorna Stewart
Lorna Stewart brings 20-years of senior leadership experience for both conventional and specialized public transit services. She led Edmonton Transit's specialized transit service, (DATS - Disabled Adult Transit Service) and Community Relations for the conventional service. More recently, she completed a one-year term with TransLink in Va
Lorna Stewart brings 20-years of senior leadership experience for both conventional and specialized public transit services. She led Edmonton Transit's specialized transit service, (DATS - Disabled Adult Transit Service) and Community Relations for the conventional service. More recently, she completed a one-year term with TransLink in Vancouver as the Manager of Access Transit Planning to implement its Custom Transit Service Delivery Review and Fare Gate Access program. Her expertise is in strategy, policy, operations, and IT. Lorna was the inaugural chair of CUTA’s Accessible Transit Committee and championed the creation of the Canadian Code of Practice for Determining Eligibility for Specialized Transit.
Mitch Underhay
Mitch Underhay
Mitch Underhay
Mitch Underhay is an experienced project manager, bilingual facilitator, and creative thinker. Mitch worked as a project manager in international renewable energy development, guiding large wind energy projects in 10 jurisdictions and two countries. His experience navigating different levels of government led him to work for the Toronto T
Mitch Underhay is an experienced project manager, bilingual facilitator, and creative thinker. Mitch worked as a project manager in international renewable energy development, guiding large wind energy projects in 10 jurisdictions and two countries. His experience navigating different levels of government led him to work for the Toronto Transit Commission. At the TTC Mitch worked in the CEO’s office to plan and execute the public and stakeholder engagement for policy, routing, and construction projects. He focused on improving the accessibility of the system and the Wheel-Trans Transformation Program, to integrate TTC's specialized transit service with its conventional network.
Eric Gillespie
Eric Gillespie
Eric Gillespie
Eric Gillespie is the former Director of Transit Services with Waterloo Region. He also also served as Manager of Finance and Administration and General Manager with the St. Catharines Transit Commission. Eric has experience auditing internal administrative and operational processes. He has conducted compliance audits to compare actual s
Eric Gillespie is the former Director of Transit Services with Waterloo Region. He also also served as Manager of Finance and Administration and General Manager with the St. Catharines Transit Commission. Eric has experience auditing internal administrative and operational processes. He has conducted compliance audits to compare actual service performance to contractual or legislative requirements. Eric was recognized with a Fellow Designation (FCPA), awarded to accountants for outstanding services to the profession, or whose achievements have earned them distinction and brought honor to the profession.
Oskar Westin
Eric Gillespie
Eric Gillespie
Oskar Westin is a digital accessibility leader and advocate, Oskar helps teams to understand and meet their goals, to provide accessible products and services. Oskar is also the co-organizer of #a11yTO, a volunteer-driven Toronto-based group that actively promotes digital inclusion for the design and development community. With nearly
Oskar Westin is a digital accessibility leader and advocate, Oskar helps teams to understand and meet their goals, to provide accessible products and services. Oskar is also the co-organizer of #a11yTO, a volunteer-driven Toronto-based group that actively promotes digital inclusion for the design and development community. With nearly 20 years' experience in the digital industry, having worked with agencies and clients within the private and public sectors, Oskar provides flexible-by-design structure and process to allow team members to do their jobs to the best of their ability.
Aislin O'Hara
Eric Gillespie
Aislin O'Hara
Aislin O'Hara is a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging with 12 years of experience executing customer facing initiatives for public transit. Aislin was the Project Lead - Customer Experience for TTC Wheel-Trans. At the TTC, Aislin led the implementation of a new eligibility structure, updated customer policies, and implemented a Tr
Aislin O'Hara is a Certified Professional Consultant on Aging with 12 years of experience executing customer facing initiatives for public transit. Aislin was the Project Lead - Customer Experience for TTC Wheel-Trans. At the TTC, Aislin led the implementation of a new eligibility structure, updated customer policies, and implemented a Travel Training Pilot Program. As a Project Advisor for the Region of Peel's specialized transit service (TransHelp), Aislin led working groups with other regional transit providers.