Eastern Ontario Transportation Planning Study – ON

Dillon was retained to complete the transit component of the Ministry of Transportation Ontario’s (MTO) Eastern Ontario Transportation Master Plan. In particular, our team focused on the inter-community bus (ICB) network, which plays a critical role in connecting communities of all sizes within the province, facilitating access to essential goods, services, medical appointments, work, education, and recreation for Ontarians.

There have been many changes and challenges faced by the ICB sector over the past 5-10 years, including the:

• Introduction of new funding programs;
• Decline in ridership due to the COVID-19 pandemic; and
• Reduction or removal of services on key corridors by privately operated ICB companies.

To bridge this gap, our team developed a working paper that emphasizes the importance of establishing a transparent framework to enable decision makers to assess the effectiveness and alignment of new or expanded ICB services that are aligned with provincial policy goals. The preliminary framework will guide MTO to define a process for identifying and prioritizing new or improvements to existing ICB services where cross-boundary mobility gaps exist, which achieve minimum design standards and align with provincial policy goals. This framework will aid in identifying and addressing existing gaps in ICB service, both unserved and underserved, while determining the appropriate level of service required on specific corridors. Ultimately, this framework can be used to connect people and places, support a competitive open for business environment, improve safety and inclusion, provide more choice and convenience, and prepare for the future.

Project Details

Project Partner: Ministry of Transportation Ontario
Business Unit: Community Strategies
Service Offering: Integrated Mobility