Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan

Milton Council has endorsed a roadmap that will help improve and expand Milton Transit routes and services over the next five years.

The Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan and Master Plan Update gives Council and senior staff a strategic planning framework to grow local transit in line with anticipated population growth.

Milton has committed to delivering a safe, reliable, and integrated transit system as an option for navigating a community defined by smart density, placemaking, mobility and economic development.

The transit service update includes:

• Recommendations to enhance Milton Transit’s network and services from 2025 to 2029.
• A transit investment strategy that targets one service hour per capita by 2041 which expands the current system by more than 150 per cent.
• A Zero-Emission Bus Feasibility Strategy and Fleet Transition Plan to support fleet electrification and future grant opportunities.

Program improvements

The proposed 2029 transit network, shaped by community engagement, includes:

• More direct transit routes
• More frequent service
• Extended evening and late-night services
• Introduction of service on Sundays
• Longer routes with new transfer points
• Improved service coverage
• Redistribution of OnDemand services
• State-of-readiness for fleet electrification
• Adoption of PRESTO fare system
• Supportive marketing and communications

Service improvements are subject to adjustment and require annual Budget approval.

Learn more about the Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan.

Quotes

“In the years ahead, transit will help Milton evolve into a community with higher densities. Approving the Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan will guide Milton Transit in serving our growing community’s needs – now, and into the future.”

- Mayor Gord Krantz

“We want to thank the residents, businesses and partners who provided input into this service plan. We are excited that this updated plan will transform this feedback into tangible improvements to Milton’s transit services.”

- Tony D'Alessandro
Director, Transit Services

Milton Transit wants your input on a draft plan to improve transit for local residents, visitors, workers, and students.

The Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan reviewed services and will recommend transit changes within the Town's larger transportation network.

Connecting our community through transit will be increasingly important as Milton works toward smart density, placemaking, mobility and economic development.

After initial public input and a review of existing services, the draft plan to address local travel needs from 2024-2029 is now open for comment.

The survey asks for input on the proposed network and service levels compared to the current offerings. It also asks demographic questions to learn more about riders and non-riders.

Your survey results will give the project team important feedback on the draft plan. This will help shape the vision, goals, and design of a future transit service in Milton.

The survey is available online and in a fillable PDF, which can be submitted online as well as by email, mail or in person at Town Hall.

Please explore the Phase 2 Engagement - Public Information Materials to learn more about the plan

Find all survey details at www.letstalkmilton.ca/milton-transit-five-year-service-plan

The Town of Milton and its partners are inviting public input on two important plans that will shape how people and goods move for years to come.

The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) Update will guide all modes of transportation and identify strategic improvements for each mode, to achieve a multi-modal future for the Town.

The Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan will review transit services and recommend changes for transit as one part of the Town's larger transportation network.

Public Engagement Events on June 22:

At the virtual and in-person engagement events, participants can consider past recommendations, learn about each plan’s review, and understand next steps. Input will help inform draft recommendations to be shared for feedback in later engagement opportunities.

• Virtual Public Engagement Session (TMP only) – June 22 at noon. Register.
• In-person Public Engagement Session (both plans) – June 22 at 5:30 to 8 p.m.
  1. Sherwood Community Centre (6355 Main St W, Milton).
  2. Residents can get to and from the engagement event using Milton Transit OnDemand. This is available within the Milton core area, from 5 to 9 p.m. on June 22. Book up to three days prior. Regular fares apply.

Ongoing ways to engage:

• For the Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan, visitors to Let’s Talk Milton can complete a survey to provide input on Milton Transit’s future needs.
• For the Transportation Master Plan Update, visitors to Let’s Talk Milton can complete a survey on whether the 2018 Transportation Master Plan recommendations remain valid.

The Town of Milton and its partners are preparing to review and update two important plans that will shape the movement of people and goods for years to come.

The Transportation Master Plan Update will be the guide that combines all modes of transportation and identifies strategic improvements for each mode, to achieve a multi-modal future for the Town.

The Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan will focus on the review of transit services and create recommendations for transit as one part of the Town's larger transportation network.

Each project has a Let’s Talk Milton engagement page with background information, a draft timeline, and a way to subscribe to updates.

Both projects will launch public engagement on June 22. This will include a shared Public Engagement Session at Sherwood Community Centre (5:30 to 8 p.m. June 22).

Residents can get to and from the engagement event using Milton Transit OnDemand. This is available within the Milton core area, from 5 to 9 p.m. on June 22. Booking can be done up to three days in advance.

Find other ways to engage and full details on Let’s Talk Milton.

About the Transportation Master Plan Update

In 2018, the Town of Milton developed a Transportation Master Plan to guide investment in all modes of transportation to accommodate the travel needs expected due to the forecasted significant population and economic growth. In March 2023, the Town of Milton retained WSP to prepare the Transportation Master Plan Update.

The TMP update intends to align transportation policy with Milton’s growth plan and priorities. It will also reflect recent policy directions from the Province of Ontario, which focuses Milton’s future growth on intensification in the built boundary and developing complete communities through Secondary Plan Areas.

• See the full Notice of Study Commencement.
• Get involved! Visit Let’s Talk Milton – Transportation Master Plan Update

About the Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan

Milton Transit has partnered with Arcadis Professional Services (Canada) Inc. to develop this plan, which reviews current transit services and identifies potential changes in service delivery methods, service levels and ways to improve efficiency, effectiveness and ridership uptake.

Covering 2024-2029, it will also update the existing transit plan, and recommend short-, medium- and long-term sustainable transit requirements in growth areas, including: Boyne, Derry Green, Britannia, Agerton/Trafalgar, the Major Transit Station Area and Milton Education Village.

As Milton's population and employment continue to grow, effectively managing transportation demand will help attract sound community investment and achieve the corporate vision.

• Get involved! Visit Let’s Talk Milton – Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan

In 2018, the Town of Milton developed a Transportation Master Plan (TMP) to guide investment in all modes of transportation to accommodate the travel needs expected due to the forecasted significant population and economic growth. In March 2023, the Town of Milton retained WSP to prepare the Town’s Transportation Master Plan Update.

The TMP update intends to align transportation policy with Milton’s growth plan and priorities. It will also reflect recent policy directions from the Province of Ontario, which focuses Milton’s future growth on intensification in the built boundary and developing complete communities through Secondary Plan Areas.

In addition, the update will consider the provincial decision on Regional Official Plan Amendment 49 (ROPA 49) and recent urban expansion. There is a need to update municipal plans to be supportive of these policies and development patterns as well as to create a coordinated, integrated multi-modal transportation system that reflects the changes in the development and transportation industry with short, intermediate, and long-term initiatives.

The Town is also in the process of updating the Milton Transit Five-Year Service Plan and the Official Plan. The Transportation Master Plan update will be the guide that combines all modes of transportation and identifies strategic improvements for each mode, to achieve a multi-modal future for the Town.

The TMP update will use a two-phase process consistent with the Municipal Class Environmental Assessment Process for Master Plans. The project formally commenced in March 2023, and is anticipated to be completed in the first quarter of 2024. The Town will work with key staff, stakeholders, and members of the public to develop the vision for the future transportation system.

As part of the process, the Town’s team will seek your input on how you travel and how to improve travel. Please visit Let’s Talk Milton (www.letstalkmilton.ca) to learn more about the project and to get involved.

We look forward to working with you on this exciting project! If you have any questions about the Transportation Master Plan update or would like to discuss the project with a study representative, please contact the Town’s project manager using the contact information below.

Heide Schlegl, C.E.T., MITE, Dipl. M.M.
Manager, Traffic
Development Services
150 Mary Street
Milton, ON, L9T 6Z5
905-878-7252 ext. 2506
heide.schlegl@milton.ca