The Ontario Government’s “Places to Grow Act” has identified that the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) is the fastest growing metropolitan area in Canada and one of the fastest in all of North America. People from other parts of Canada and the world are drawn to this area because of the enviable quality of life. Within the next 30 years, it is expected that 3.7 million more people will call this region home.

This growth is a positive development. It will improve the quality of life in the affected communities and contribute to their prosperity and diversity. It will maintain the current standard of living and ensure that the range of skilled workers is present to continue to attract new investment and provide new opportunities.

Transit throughout the region is disconnected and underdeveloped. The highways are clogged. Jobs have developed farther away from where people live and want to live, increasing commute times. Parking lots developed for commuters have doubled and even tripled in size in Oshawa, Whitby and Ajax with overflows being accommodated in recreation centres and correctional facilities.

The Government of Canada and Ontario want communities in the GGH to be prosperous, healthy and complete. They want these communities to be places where people can live, work and play. In order to accomplish these goals there must be access to transit, as well as suitable healthcare, education and recreational facilities.

The Ontario Ministry of Infrastructure has stated that it wants to promote strategies that maximize the value of public investment in infrastructure to provide better transit services and quicker movement of our goods.

One way to do that is to reinstate commuter rail service along the Toronto-Peterborough rail line. This report proposes to re-visit the market assessment and the demand for such a service.

Click here to download and view the entire report. (pdf)