Keeping you moving!

Vaughan’s new transportation plan is in motion 

Improving transportation and mobility is a priority for the City of Vaughan – which means we are committed to keeping you moving. Whether you walk, rollerblade, cycle, scooter, take transit, use rideshare, carpool or drive your own car, the recently approved 2023 Vaughan Transportation Plan will build a travel system for everyone.

Since the City’s first transportation plan was completed in 2012, much has changed with respect to traffic and travel – making an update to the existing plan necessary. The update launched in November 2019 to prepare the city for new transportation trends, accommodate future growth and reduce gridlock. It assessed criteria based on six objectives: Accessibility and Connectivity, Environmental Stewardship, Equity, Financial Sustainability, Reliability and Resilience, and Safety. Public input was also vital as key information on travel patterns, opportunities and challenges were gathered through various consultations with residents and stakeholders.

The update is now complete! The new 2023 Vaughan Transportation Plan will guide Vaughan’s transportation network as it continues to evolve. It provides steps towards enhancing the local road network, advocating for better public transit and improving active modes of transportation in the short, medium and long term. It also provides directions for future City-led transportation studies, projects, initiatives and policies, and aligns with other municipal, regional and provincial growth plans. The outcome is a transportation system that is more safe, reliable, sustainable and interconnected – and work is already underway.

By building the right infrastructure, empowering choices for residents and businesses, and thinking forward, the City can provide a comprehensive and modern transportation system that promotes a variety of active travel options. Learn more about these three objectives below:

Build Infrastructure

Investing in accessible, safe and efficient infrastructure is key to offering residents, visitors and businesses more mobility choices. It will also help manage congestion. The focus is on:

• addressing gaps in the street network, particularly in the east-west direction to create better connectivity for all modes of travel.
• creating a safer walking environment throughout Vaughan to make it easier to get to places on foot and via transit.
• establishing protected bike routes so that people can cycle or scooter comfortably to work, school, shops and other places.

Empower Choice

Providing safe and convenient infrastructure is only helpful if people are aware of the transportation choices they have. By providing information, listening to feedback and encouraging people to try something different, each person can choose the form of transportation that works best for them. The focus is on:

• having on-going conversations with residents and businesses about their needs and desires.
• building complete communities to reduce the need for travelling long distances.
• offering improved, frequent and reliable transit service, which precedes development.

Think Forward

Innovative technologies, such as automated, connected, electric and shared vehicles, are changing the way travellers use roadways. New policies and guidelines are needed to ensure Vaughan can harness these new technologies into its expanding transportation network. The focus is on:

• addressing travel needs of the aging population, such as increasing accessibility to transit with more specialized transit options for seniors.
• creating additional sustainable transportation options by encouraging new development to include electric vehicle charging stations.
• evaluating new services, such as electric “on-demand” transportation, to make Vaughan’s transportation system more accessible to everyone.

Building new infrastructure is only part of what makes a successful transportation system. The 2023 Vaughan Transportation Plan recommends policies which will be incorporated into the City’s Official

Plan so that people are encouraged to choose more convenient and sustainable forms of transportation.

Staff will also continue to collaborate with York Region and York Region Transit to bring the transformed system to life.

Review the full 2023 Vaughan Transportation Plan, including work completed to date and new policy directions, at vaughan.ca/TransportationPlan.

Want to stay informed as the work progresses? Request to join the project’s mailing list by emailing TransportationPlan@vaughan.ca.

QUOTES

“The 2023 Vaughan Transportation Plan is the City’s blueprint for a transportation network that addresses Vaughan’s future growth and development. This plan lays out the vision for a system that offers high-quality, competitive and sustainable travel choices and includes the critical projects of our Nine Point Action Plan to Fight Traffic Gridlock. The City looks forward to continuing to work with residents, businesses, partners and stakeholders to create a comprehensive, modern transportation system to Get Vaughan Moving. Work to bring this plan to life is already underway, and together, we will build a transportation system that will serve Vaughan now and into the future.”

- Mayor Steven Del Duca

“The City of Vaughan’s 2023 Vaughan Transportation Plan was developed to get the community moving. No matter how you commute, the outcomes of this plan will get you where you need to go more efficiently and effectively. The 2023 plan outlines a comprehensive transportation system built for all road users, including people who walk, bike, drive or take transit. Through it, a multi-modal and interconnected transportation network will be delivered – one that addresses Vaughan’s future growth and development, while being more sustainable and accessible for everyone.”

- City Manager Nick Spensieri  

QUICK FACTS

• The City of Vaughan initiated an update to its 2012 Vaughan Transportation Plan in November 2019.
• The 2023 Vaughan Transportation Plan was approved by Vaughan Council in May 2023.
• The new plan is focused on building a modern transportation system that promotes a variety of active travel options. It will do this by building the right infrastructure, empowering mobility choices and thinking forward.

LEARN MORE

• Vaughan Transportation Plan webpage
• Vaughan Transportation Plan Executive Summary May 2023
• Committee of the Whole (Working Session) Report: 2023 Vaughan Transportation Plan