The Province of Ontario has released a new survey on transportation in the Greater Golden Horseshoe that it says will help shape its planning going forward.
“This survey is incredibly important,” Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney said in a statement. “We need the community to take part in order to build a high functioning and efficient transportation system that will keep families and the economy of the Greater Golden Horseshoe moving.”
The Ford government says the data it will gather from residents will be used to plan highway and transit from 2051 in the GGH area.
“By participating in the development of the plan, local residents can help ensure the plan meets the environmental, economic and social needs of the families, businesses and communities throughout the region,” the government’s release states.
The GGH, which centres around the Greater Toronto Area and stretches to include Waterloo Region, Wellington County and Brant County from the west, Peterborough and Northumberland from the east, Simcoe County to the north, with Haldimand and Niagara marking the southern border.
The MTO says it is an area that is expected to grow from 9 million people to 14.9 million between now and 2051.
The survey asks residents for input on how often they use a wide variety of transportation modes such as cycling, public transit, walking, planes, trains and automobiles. It also asks about difficulties in using those modes, as well as their transit priorities looking ahead.
The questionnaire also has several questions about people’s transportation experiences during the pandemic and what their concerns are as things reopen.