Durham Region Long-Term Transit Strategy
March 26, 2010

HDR | iTRANS was retained by The Regional Municipality of Durham to develop a comprehensive long term transit strategy. This $3.4 million project resulted in the development of a comprehensive strategy for advancing rapid transit in Durham Region within the context of the broader mobility goals of the Region. The strategy emphasized rapid transit and its integral place within sustainable transportation options that will help the Region address anticipated transportation demands to 2031 and beyond (to 2056). This strategy laid out a vision, assessed alternatives, and established specific directions for transit in Durham Region.

The scope included the development of travel demand forecasting model and a commercial travel model; development of a range of transportation and transit alternatives for high density southern parts of the Region and sparsely populated northern areas; detailed estimation of costs and benefits of each alternative; and identification of environmental impacts, effects on the community, and sector-based effects on the Region’s economy. The project included the conceptual design of a 32 km E-W rapid transit corridor. Additional activities included defining new urban design standards; setting targets for population and employment densities in support of a preferred transit technology within a given transit corridor; detailing transit support strategies and investments; detailing road network investments and funding sources; and laying down a step-by-step implementation strategy. The study was supported by an extensive public and stakeholders consultation effort.