Where is Innisfil going with its new transit master plan?
Your opportunity to find out is coming up shortly. The municipality is hosting public open houses related to the draft document Jan. 14 and 16 from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. each day. Tuesday’s event happens at the Cookstown Community Hall (20 Church St.); the Thursday open house occurs at the Innisfil ideaLAB and Library’s Lakeshore branch (967 Innisfil Beach Rd.).
“It’s early days,” town planning manager Brandon Correia said. “We’re really just launching the project and that’s why we’re doing public consultation — just to get a sense of where the public’s at, in terms of some of their interests and needs. It’s really critical we hear from residents early and upfront: Where do they want to travel in Innisfil and beyond, what barriers do they see the current system having? From there, we can really take that feedback and work on a plan that’s meeting the needs.”
He said the town is likely looking at a hybrid model for public transit, which still utilizes the Uber on-demand service while also implementing traditional fixed routes.
“Generally, the Uber program has been going pretty well,” Correia said, noting the Uber partnership was a first-of-its-kind initiative in Canada and is still growing in ridership since its 2017 launch. “But we do have a vast geographic size (for) Innisfil. I do think the size is a challenge in meeting transportation needs. We need to explore more options to getting people where they need to go.”
Innisfil’s population is expected to reach 63,000 people by 2034. So this 10-year plan is largely spurred by anticipated growth, and meeting the needs of current and future residents who choose to live — and often work — in town.
“We know transit’s a key factor for people,” Correia said. “As the town continues to grow, what does multimodal transportation look like? And where do people want to get around to? Understanding what routing looks like and what our options are, in terms of door-to-door service like Uber and is there a role for fixed-route transit. These are the types of things we want to explore through this exercise.”
Other elements, such as linkages into the future Orbit development and its proposed GO Transit train station, will be considered, too.
“We are certainly taking into consideration both existing but also new development, such as the GO station and Orbit, in terms of what transit will be required and the connectivity throughout the town,” Correia said.
In addition to the in-person sessions, there will be a virtual open house taking place Jan. 21 from noon to 1 p.m. Anyone interested in participating is required to register online.
Light refreshments will be available during the in-person meetings. Visit getinvolvedinnisfil.ca/transit to register for an open house, answer a transit survey, or obtain more information on the project.
Correia says there will be plenty of opportunities for further public engagement over the course of 2025, including another survey. Staff are expected to present the draft master plan to council later in the year.
