Frequency Asked Questions

A Transportation Master Plan (TMP) is a guiding document that sets a long-term vision for multi-modal transportation in the City. It is a functional master plan which provides more detailed recommendations and strategies to improve our transportation system beyond what is outlined within the City’s Official Plan. The process to develop a TMP starts with a vision, which will guide the review of the current transportation system and the areas for improvement. The TMP also reviews best practices and considers emerging trends to identify travel needs in the future. Ultimately, the TMP will identify a series of actions, policies, and programs that the municipality can take to plan for growth and address the multi-modal transportation needs in the City.

The scope of the transportation master plan is to: 

• Develop the transportation system to serve all modes of travel and support active transportation, transit, transit demand management and integrate with land use planning to support the growth and economic prosperity of the City 

• Provide a transportation system with appropriate connections between City, regional and provincial transportation systems 

• Encouraging the use of sustainable modes of travel to contribute to healthier communities, active lifestyles, safer streets, and reduced pollution 

• Support movement of people and goods through an efficient, integrated and multi-modal system that meets the needs of all people 

• Maintain or enhance the overall quality of life experienced by residents and visitors 

The Transportation Master Plan will be conducted in accordance with the requirements of Phases 1 and 2 of the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment which is an approved process under the Environmental Assessment Act and will be developed in three phases. 

Phase 1: Problem and Opportunity Definition: the project vision and opportunity statement will be developed to help will guide the TMP. During this phase, an extensive background review of current conditions, existing policies, and data sources will be done to identify current and future problems and opportunities. 

Phase 2: Assessment of Alternatives: focus on the assessment of alternative solutions and address the challenges and opportunities heard during the first phase. A transportation strategy, mode share target, and preferred infrastructure plan will be established to meet the needs of the City.   

Phase 3: Draft and Final Report: the work done to-date will be drafted and finalized in the TMP. 

The Transportation Master Plan will focus primarily on improvements to the transportation system within the City boundary, however, travel demands in the entire region are considered in identifying the need for improvements to boundary roads or important roadway links to the County Road system or Township Roads, which may be included in the study recommendations. Representatives from the County of Peterborough will be included throughout the project, and consultation with surrounding Townships and the Ontario Ministry of Transportation will be undertaken to provide input as appropriate. 

The County of Peterborough is also undertaking an update to their Transportation Master Plan, which will allow for the integration of both plans and joint planning for transportation needs and improvements.  More information about the County Transportation Master Plan can be found on their website at (https://www.ptbocounty.ca/en/living/transportation-master-plan.aspx(External link)).

In Phase 1, your ideas and inputs will be used to better understand the current transportation issues and opportunities in the City as well as help to form a vision for the Transportation Master Plan that reflects the desires of residents, visitors, and other stakeholders. In addition, Phase 1 will establish performance criteria for the transportation system and will identify and gather input on future trends related to transportation that might influence how we travel and the types of policies and infrastructure needed in the future.  

In Phase 2, your input will be used to establish a Transportation Strategy that includes mode share targets that will influence the types of investments the City will need to make in transit, trails, cycling, sidewalks and road improvements to achieve the City's transportation vision. Phase 2 will also seek feedback on specific improvement alternatives to refine the City’s proposed transportation infrastructure plan and policy directions prior to being included in the final Transportation Master Plan. 

This project will have an important and meaningful impact on your day to day activities including how you get to and from the places you live, work and play within the City and the surrounding region.  Your input is valued and important. There are many ways to participate! Join the conversation here by registering on this site and engaging with our online tools throughout the project. Over the course of the project, we encourage you to monitor the project page for virtual engagement opportunities including surveys, virtual public meetings, interactive mapping or forums.  We look forward to hearing what you have to say! 

With Council approval of the recommendations of the Phase 4 report, Phase 5 of the TMP project will be initiated. This phase will focus on finalizing the project including the identification of implementation priorities, finalizing the phasing of various capital projects and initiatives, developing a monitoring plan to support future updates to the plan, and completing the final reporting and documentation activities for the project.

For the purpose of planning, road improvement projects have been allocated into short-, medium-, and long-term horizons based on the anticipated needs arising from growth, priorities associated with the approved Transportation Strategy, and recognizing the need for additional planning and design studies to be completed for larger projects prior to implementation. Future Councils will determine the pace of investment to implement the recommendations in the TMP based on actual growth and infrastructure priorities over the 30-year plan horizon.

No design work has been completed as part of the TMP, most of the larger infrastructure projects recommended in the TMP will still require further study prior to being approved for implementation. 

TMP’s are broad community-based planning documents that examine the need for new infrastructure on a system-wide basis while incorporating land use considerations and environmental principles into the municipal planning and decision making process. No design work related to individual projects identified as part of the study has been completed as part of the TMP. For most projects, the completion of future Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (MCEA) planning processes will still be required, and additional project-specific consultation will occur during those MCEA studies and  during future design projects.