Urban Planning: Transit in Toronto

Urban Planning: Transit in Toronto

Jarrett Walker, a notable transportation planner, often says you would never ask a carpenter what their favourite tool is: each serves its purpose in building the final product. The same principle applies when planning for transportation. It’s important to use all the tools in our toolbox, including new subways, light rail, and bike lanes where they will be most effective, as well as working to optimize traffic flow.
By taking part in public consultations, you can help City planners determine what tools to use where, and what needs must be met by our future transportation system.

Why is this discussion so important? Because we are overburdening transit infrastructure that was built to handle the traffic levels of the previous generation, and congestion is growing. Toronto leads all North American municipalities in large-scale development, and the GTA is projected to reach 9.1 million people by 2036. The congestion that comes with this development is making it increasingly difficult to move within the city. When people spend too much time travelling between home and work it impacts our quality of life and limits our economic productivity.

To make sure we successfully adapt to the city’s growth, the City Planning Division launched a program called Feeling Congested?. The goal of Feeling Congested? is to engage Torontonians on a range of issues related to transportation planning, priorities, and funding. We began this process in 2013 by consulting 7,000 people on their top 4 transportation planning criteria that will be used to inform future investment decisions. In Phase 2, we engaged over 12,000 people, both in-person and online, about some of the key policy elements of the Official Plan review, including the new Decision-Making Framework and the Bicycle Policy Framework. In Phase 3, we held consultations about draft changes to the transportation policies of the Official Plan. Now, we’re working on developing a new transit plan that looks at 24 different projects plus SmartTrack, a 53km above-ground subway line.

By taking part in our consultations, Torontonians like you are helping to build a transportation network that will allow all modes of transit to move efficiently. Less congestion means more time with family and friends, and less time commuting. It means fewer hours of lost productivity and more time spent growing our economy.

To learn more about Feeling Congested? go to www.feelingcongested.ca.