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Community Transportation Plan

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The staff at The District of Muskoka understand that transportation is a challenge for many of our residents. An application for funding from the Community Transportation Grant Program at the Provincial Ministry of Transportation was successful, and The District was awarded close to $700,000 to invest in community transportation over four years. The District's Community Transportation Plan project is funded by the Government of Ontario through this grant.

In order to ensure community transportation programs meet the most pressing needs of residents, and to ensure funding was spent as efficiently and effectively as possible, The District used some of the Grant funding to hire external consultants Transit Consulting Network and Dillon Consulting to help us develop a 5-Year Transportation Needs Assessment and Growth and Sustainability Plan, which we have been calling the “Community Transportation Plan” or “CTP” for short.

Transit Consulting Network and Dillon Consulting spent a lot of time reaching out to the community via focus groups, a survey, and interviews to help us find solutions that suit our residents. The consultants carefully considered everyone’s input when they were developing our CTP, which will provide a roadmap for moving forward with transportation initiatives in Muskoka over the next three to five years.

The goal of the CTP is to develop accessible, affordable, sustainable transportation solutions for both urban and rural residents, including services that move residents east and west within Muskoka. The CTP recommends a new east-west service, improvements to the current Corridor 11 service, and suggestions to help us create a seamless transportation network across Muskoka with connections to broader options to the south, all supported by the Community Transportation Grant from the Government of Ontario.

As members of the Community and Planning Services Committee and District Council reviewed the CTP, it was noted that even after the new programs are implemented, some residents would still be without access to transportation. In order to fill in the gaps, the District has set up a Specialized Transportation Fund for residents who do not live in areas served by the community transportation programs or other public transportation (i.e. Bracebridge or Huntsville Transit) or who are unable to use the municipally provided services, do not qualify for other agency-based transportation programs in the area, and who require financial assistance to access the transportation they need.

We have appreciated all the support and engagement we’ve had from the community so far, and with your help we hope to create a robust, holistic, unified transportation network that effectively serves Muskoka, with a focus on those who would benefit the most from these programs.

Want to be kept in the loop on this exciting project?

To receive email updates and stay informed of the CTP, enter your email address in the "Stay Informed" tool (located at the top right-hand corner of this page on your desktop or scroll down on your mobile device) and click the subscribe button.

The staff at The District of Muskoka understand that transportation is a challenge for many of our residents. An application for funding from the Community Transportation Grant Program at the Provincial Ministry of Transportation was successful, and The District was awarded close to $700,000 to invest in community transportation over four years. The District's Community Transportation Plan project is funded by the Government of Ontario through this grant.

In order to ensure community transportation programs meet the most pressing needs of residents, and to ensure funding was spent as efficiently and effectively as possible, The District used some of the Grant funding to hire external consultants Transit Consulting Network and Dillon Consulting to help us develop a 5-Year Transportation Needs Assessment and Growth and Sustainability Plan, which we have been calling the “Community Transportation Plan” or “CTP” for short.

Transit Consulting Network and Dillon Consulting spent a lot of time reaching out to the community via focus groups, a survey, and interviews to help us find solutions that suit our residents. The consultants carefully considered everyone’s input when they were developing our CTP, which will provide a roadmap for moving forward with transportation initiatives in Muskoka over the next three to five years.

The goal of the CTP is to develop accessible, affordable, sustainable transportation solutions for both urban and rural residents, including services that move residents east and west within Muskoka. The CTP recommends a new east-west service, improvements to the current Corridor 11 service, and suggestions to help us create a seamless transportation network across Muskoka with connections to broader options to the south, all supported by the Community Transportation Grant from the Government of Ontario.

As members of the Community and Planning Services Committee and District Council reviewed the CTP, it was noted that even after the new programs are implemented, some residents would still be without access to transportation. In order to fill in the gaps, the District has set up a Specialized Transportation Fund for residents who do not live in areas served by the community transportation programs or other public transportation (i.e. Bracebridge or Huntsville Transit) or who are unable to use the municipally provided services, do not qualify for other agency-based transportation programs in the area, and who require financial assistance to access the transportation they need.

We have appreciated all the support and engagement we’ve had from the community so far, and with your help we hope to create a robust, holistic, unified transportation network that effectively serves Muskoka, with a focus on those who would benefit the most from these programs.

Want to be kept in the loop on this exciting project?

To receive email updates and stay informed of the CTP, enter your email address in the "Stay Informed" tool (located at the top right-hand corner of this page on your desktop or scroll down on your mobile device) and click the subscribe button.

  • A New Year, a New Transportation Service For Muskoka!

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    The District is excited to announce a new transportation service for Muskoka funded by the Government of Ontario. The new service, called Rural and Community Connection, connects Muskoka communities east and west while providing timed connections to other transportation networks within and beyond Muskoka. The new service launches on Tuesday January 19th, and will operate on two different routes running east and west. Each route is operated one day per week - Tuesdays and Thursdays.

    Tuesday’s Route runs return trips from MacTier to Port Carling, Milford Bay, Bracebridge, Baysville, and Huntsville. The Thursday Route runs return trips from Midland to Port Severn, Honey Harbour, Bala, Gravenhurst, and Bracebridge.

    In addition to providing designated stops along the routes, the new Rural and Community Connection service schedule has also been designed to accommodate what is known as a “flex stop.” A flex stop allows riders to request a pick-up and/or drop off spot that is located within a 5-minute return trip from the existing route.

    More information about the new Rural and Community Service, including schedules, flex stops, and accessible vehicle requests can found on the District’s website at www.muskoka.on.ca/ruralandcommunityconnection.

    Feedback

    We want to hear from you! The new Rural and Community Service is a pilot project to be delivered until 2023. We want to ensure that it is meeting the needs of residents and to do that, feedback is important. Let us know about your experiences with the new service and share any thoughts you have for improvement. Please contact Jacquie Evans, Muskoka Transportation Network Coordinator at Jacquie.evans@muskoka.on.ca or (705) 645-2100 ext. 4419 with your input.

  • Specialized Transportation Fund Application Now Open

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    The District is now accepting applications to the new Specialized Transportation Fund which is intended to provide financial support for transportation for residents who:

    • do not live in areas served by the community transportation programs or other public transportation (i.e. Bracebridge or Huntsville Transit) or who are unable to use the municipally provided services;
    • do not qualify for other agency-based transportation programs in the area; and
    • require financial assistance to access the transportation they need.

    More information about the program, the application process, and qualifying criteria can be found on the District’s website at www.muskoka.on.ca/communitytransportation.


  • New Bus, New Look, New Schedule for Corridor 11 Service

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    In line with the Community Transportation Road Map, the District is pleased to announce several improvements made to the Corridor 11 Service to better serve Muskoka residents! The Corridor 11 Bus connects communities north and south via Highway 11. The bus currently runs Monday to Friday from Huntsville to Barrie and back, making stops along the way in Port Sydney, Bracebridge, Gravenhurst, Kilworthy, Washago, and Orillia The Corridor 11 Bus operates in partnership with Hammond Transportation, and is significantly funded in part by the Government of Ontario through the Community Transportation Grant and Gas Tax Programs.

    Improvements include a brand new accessible bus equipped with a wheelchair lift and room for two passengers using wheelchairs, new bus branding and an updated service schedule. The new schedule incorporates recommendations from the District’s external transportation consultant as outlined in the Community Transportation Plan (CTP).

    Learn more: www.muskoka.on.ca/corridor11

    We Want Your Feedback!
    We are pilot testing this new schedule, and we would really like your input on it. What’s working for you? What’s not? Please contact Jacquie Evans, Muskoka Transportation Network Coordinator, at 705 645 2100 ext. 4419 or jacquie.evans@muskoka.on.ca to share your opinion.

  • Community Transportation Plan being Delivered for Endorsement

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    Our external consultants have completed the Community Transportation Plan (CTP)!

    Staff are bringing the CTP to the Community and Planning Services Committee today for endorsement. If the CTP is endorsed by Committee, it will go to Muskoka District Council for final approval in August.

    The CTP can be found on page 7 of the July 2020 Committee Report (we've also linked to this report in the "Important Links" section of this page.)

    If you're looking for a summary of the plan, you can view the PowerPoint presentation to committee and check out the plan route on the CTP Roadmap.

    Don't forget - Subscribe to project updates at the top of this page if you would like to receive email updates about this project!

Page last updated: 08 Oct 2024, 09:34 PM