DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Towards Sustainable Transportation

December 4, 2007

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Developing a Regional Transportation Plan� Strategic long-term vision for a coordinated transportation

system across the entire GTHA region� Framework for infrastructure investment decisions� Delivery program for short-, medium- and long-term

actions for the next 25 years

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actions for the next 25 years� Three lenses:

• People• Environment• Economy

� Meaningful consultation with citizens, system users, transportation providers and other stakeholders

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Trends: What’s the Problem?

• Region’s transportation system has not kept pace with demand

• Subway, streetcar bus and commuter rail services are at/near capacity with resulting crowding and poor reliability120

140

160

180

200

Leng

th o

f Rap

id T

rans

it Ex

pans

ion

(km

)

GO TransitLRTSubway/SRT

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crowding and poor reliability• Travel times on roads are increasing –

accidents/weather cause further delays• Road network in urbanized areas is now

largely built out with limited opportunities to add capacity

• Toronto’s rapid transit network is now merely average compared to other major metropolitan areasHISTORIC RAPID TRANSIT

EXPANSION IN THE GTHA

0

20

40

60

80

100

120

1950

s

1960

s

1970

s

1980

s

1990

s

2000

s

Leng

th o

f Rap

id T

rans

it Ex

pans

ion

(km

)

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAM

ILTON AREA

Rapid Transit in Various Cities (km/m

illion persons)

40 50 60 70

Kilometres of RT per Million Inhabitants

ExistingPlanned

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0 10 20 30

Houston

Los Angeles

TORONTO

Montreal

Chicago

Dallas

Boston

Vancouver

Washington DC

Portland

Denver

San Francisco

Madrid

London

Kilometres of RT per Million Inhabitants

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Travel Behaviour� Residents are travelling more, travelling

further and relying more on their cars� Commuter travel made by

walk/cycle/transit dropped from 31% to 24% in last two decades

45%

44%

Employment

Population

KEY TRENDS, 1986 - 2006

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24% in last two decades� Auto vehicle-kilometres have almost

doubled� Older communities have more

sustainable transportation patterns than newer suburban communities, but majority of growth in suburban areas

17%

52%

46%

94%

21%Home to work trip length

Daily Transit Trips

Vehicle-km of travel

Daily Auto Trips

Daily Trips (motorized)

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

How sustainable are our communities?HARBOURFRONT RIVERDALE DON MILLS GUILDWOOD STREETSVILLE AJAX

CENTRAL AREA CENTRAL AREA

INNER SUBURB INNER SUBURB OUTER SUBURB OUTER SUBURB DWELLING TYPE AND PROXIMITY TO TRANSIT:

3%

67% 45%

4%7%

42%

0%

74%23%

73%Share of detached single-family homes

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SHARE OF NON-MOTORIZED TRIPS TO WORK:

AVERAGE ANNUAL HOUSEHOLD TRANSPORTATION COSTS:

ESTIMATED ANNUAL GREENHOUSE GAS EMISSIONS FROM WEEKDAY VEHICLE USE (KG):

3%4%7%12%

0%22%

2,600 2,950 4,200 4,8006,100

7,100

23%61%

12%34%52%

15%

Share of homes within 1 km of rapid transit/GO transit station

$11,800$12,800

$10,300$9,300$7,300$7,000

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Population Growth

4.1M

6.1M

8.6M

5

67

89

10

POPU

LATI

ON

(MIL

LIO

NS)

GTHA Population� Six million residents and growing� Fourth largest metropolitan area in

North America� 100,000 new residents each year� 8.6 M people in 2031 – larger than

6

4.1M

0

12

34

5

1986 2006 2031

POPU

LATI

ON

(MIL

LIO

NS)

Rest of GTHAToronto

� 8.6 M people in 2031 – larger than metropolitan Chicago or London (UK) are today

� 2.5 M growth in next 25 years is greater than current population of Greater Vancouver and twice current population of Ottawa-Gatineau

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Directions for Growth Planning� Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe

intended to limit sprawl and enhance community liveability

� Includes growth boundary and protects the Greenbelt and other environmentally sensitivity areas

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areas� Encourages compact, mixed use development� Sets density targets to enable cost-effective

transit� Identifies urban growth centres as high density

nodes to be linked by rapid transit� Ultimate success of Growth Plan will require

investment in transit and shipping corridors

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Future Travel Demand� Business-as-usual scenario developed based on current

trends, policy directions and Growth Plan projections:• 44% increase in trips by 2031• Transit share would remain relatively constant• Traffic congestion would grow faster and more roads would

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• Traffic congestion would grow faster and more roads would reach capacity

• 50% increase in auto travel times during peak periods• Congestion would lead to: greater operating costs and

emissions; reduced reliability and productivity; higher costs of moving goods and services; reduced economic competitiveness; and, negative health impacts

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Areas of Severe Congestion

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2001 2031 BAU (withoutincreased transitInitiatives)

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Threats to Our Quality of Life� Changing travel behaviour and difficulty/expense of road

expansion has led to greater traffic congestion � Must change how people and goods move within and across

GTHA to accommodate future growth� Alternative to change is the cost of increasing congestion:

• lost productivity and family time

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• lost productivity and family time• delays to goods and services• increased stress and anxiety for individuals

� Economic cost of congestion estimated at $2.2B annually� Other social and personal costs:

• Suburban housing affordability threatened by increasing transportation costs

• Lack of mobility choices hurt those without access to a car (e.g. children, seniors, disabled, many adults)

• Air pollution and health impacts

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Climate Change and Energy Risks� RTP must address unpredictable changes related to the

global environment� Likely national/international efforts to reduce fossil fuel

use / GHG emissions will require adoption of energy-efficient travel patterns across the region

� Significant emission reductions would require major

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� Significant emission reductions would require major changes in travel behaviour• How do we prepare for this?• Which investments help deal with this change?

� We need a Regional Transportation Plan (RTP)• A blueprint for action• A robust delivery program

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

RTP Building Blocks�Paper #1: Trends, Outlooks and Process�Paper #2: Mobility Hubs�Paper #3A: Walk/Cycle�Paper #3B: Transportation Demand Management

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�Paper #3B: Transportation Demand Management�Paper #4: Moving Goods and Services�Paper #5: Highways and Roads�Paper #6: TransitDraft/Final RTP Report

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

RTP Development: An Inclusive Process

Environmental scan/ best practices

TAG collaboration/ input

Green Papers

approved by Board

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Public/stakeholder consultation

AC review and advice

White Papers

approved by Board

Draft RTP

approved by Board

Final RTP

approved by Board

Public/stakeholder consultation

AC review and advice

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Institutional Roadblocks� Institutional challenges have affected our ability to plan

and deliver a better transportation system• Lack of sustainable and predictable funding• Transportation responsibilities in the region have been

fragmented

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fragmented• Implementation of previous plans has been halting

� Need for a public authority to move forward:• Look at the overall picture• Put forward the interests of the regional traveller

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Foundation for Success� It’s time to get moving� What’s different this time?

• Cooperation• Commitment• Need

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• Need� Key Themes:

• Consumer focus • Comprehensive planning• Technology• Mix of public and private sector involvement• Great design

� Innovations and best practices from around the world

DEVELOPMENT OF A REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLAN FOR THE GREATER TORONTO AND HAMILTON AREA

Changing the Future: Shaping a Strategic Response� RTP marks the beginning to develop a vastly improved,

sustainable transportation system� RTP will take the perspective of the “customer” – traveller,

citizen� Little choice but to change

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� Little choice but to change� Blueprint for change will include:

• Seamless, cost-effective, environmentally friendly transportation system

• Communities planned to facilitate walking, cycling and transit• Unprecedented reinvestment in public transit

� With everyone’s commitment, the GTHA will remain one of the world’s most attractive and successful city-regions