​​Updates to the Ontario Transit-Supportive Guidelines​

​​The Transit-Supportive Guidelines (TSG) is a provincial resource that offers best practices, tools, and strategies to help communities of all sizes create transit-friendly environments and increase transit ridership.

​The TSG includes transit-supportive land use planning, urban design and operational practices, from Ontario, North America and international examples, to support implementation in communities of all sizes.

​Key users of the Transit-Supportive Guidelines include municipal councils, staff, planning committees, transportation and land-use planners, transit agencies, service providers, and other partners.

​These users can apply the strategies that best fit their local context while aligning with provincial direction and their own transit planning goals.

​The current Transit-Supportive Guidelines provides guidance on the following:

• ​planning for transit-supportive land use patterns and regional mobility planning
• ​creating transit-supportive urban form through layout of streets, open spaces, design of complete streets, access to transit, parking management and specialized uses
• ​enhancing operations of transit services and programs to increase ridership through optimizing system service and capacity, performance monitoring, trip planning and navigation, passenger safety and access, and ridership strategies

​The proposed Transit-Supportive Guidelines update would incorporate:

• ​emerging technology innovations and trends in Ontario (e.g., micromobility modes, electric vehicles, car/ride-share services)
• ​approaches to support transit service expansions and priority transit investments.
• ​approaches to support large and fast-growing municipalities
• ​transit needs of various community sizes in the province, with the inclusion of rural/remote and First Nation communities
• ​provincial land use and transportation policy direction, such as PPS 2024, GGH Transportation Plan, including linkages to Major Transit Station Areas and Transit Oriented Development
• ​strengthened linkages to promote the integration and enhancement of first-and-last mile connections to transit
• ​addressing transportation barriers of equity-deserving groups, particularly as it relates to transit safety and access
• ​future-readiness strategies to respond and adapt to future needs and environmental changes
• ​programs and resources available in the province to support the implementation of transit services

​Potential environmental impacts of this proposal are highlighted by the potential introduction of the following suggestion: incorporation of sustainable practices into transit-supportive development projects, promotion of low-and zero-carbon modes and the advancement of alternative fuel technologies to support provincial decarbonization efforts and build future-ready communities with sustainable and resilient transportation systems.

​The Ministry is seeking feedback on the draft of the updated Transit-Supportive Guidelines to ensure they reflect best practices in planning, design, and operations that support transit needs in communities of all sizes across Ontario.