THE BIG MOVE

The year 2008–2009 was one of significant accomplishment for Metrolinx. As a young organization with a complex and critical mandate, we needed to achieve early success and we had to build on it quickly. We did this in a manner of which we are all very proud. This past year saw us pass a number of important milestones on our journey, the most important of which was the release of The Big Move, our Regional Transportation Plan for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in November 2008.

The Big Move is a bold plan to give residents of the GTHA more choice for getting around. It is a $50 billion plan to get the fastest-growing and most densely populated part of our province moving, to set out strategic infrastructure priorities to meet the needs of people who understand at a fundamental level that there is a better way of getting from A to B.

The Big Move is more about travellers than it is about vehicles. It reverses a decades-old focus on the needs of the system and shifts that focus instead to the needs of the people using the system. More than anything else, it is about helping to build the kinds of communities in which we want to live, where people can get where they want or need to be quickly, where children can walk or ride safely to school and where fewer emissions have left the air cleaner for us all to enjoy.

The Big Move is thousands of kilometres of new lanes, trails and pathways for pedestrians and cyclists that will encourage healthier lifestyles and a cleaner environment.

The Big Move is more than two billion dollars per year for each of the next 25 years. It will not only help create thousands of new green and well-paid jobs, but will also save billions of dollars in time, energy and other efficiencies.

COMMUNITY AND STAKEHOLDER ENGAGEMENT

The Big Move was born and refined in consultation with the people for whom it was created – the people of the GTHA. We engaged stakeholders and members of the public in a way that has seldom been done in this province.

In December 2007, we introduced our online consultation site with 24/7 access to the public to begin the dialogue about transportation challenges.

Community

Our consultation portal had more than 130,000 page views during its first eight months following the launch of our first Green Paper. We also reached out to people online and accepted more than 1,000 comments on our draft plan and related working papers.

Between October 14 and October 30, 2008, we hosted 13 public and stakeholder meetings that were attended by more than 1,000 people.

We worked with and supported a group of dedicated transportation activists who developed their own website about related issues. We posted blogs on the Metronauts website – an online community of people – to discuss the future of our cities and the role transportation can and should have. The group hosted large-scale "Metronauts unconferences" in partnership with Metrolinx.

Stakeholders

We consulted with Chambers of Commerce and Boards of Trade, the Canadian Urban Institute, the Canadian Council for Public-Private Partnerships, cultural, ethnic and social service organizations, as well as key transportation industry organizations – transit operators, transit oversight organizations, cycling groups and the Canadian Automobile Association, to name a few. Environmental organizations, the development industry, infrastructure investment and building communities also weighed in.

Sharing Knowledge

In June 2008, Metrolinx hosted a design charrette at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto, where innovators and professionals from a range of fields including urban planning, transportation and real estate gathered to discuss everything from mobility hubs to complete streets to better transit vehicles. The charrette was followed by an open international symposium called "Mobility Without Borders."

A panel of international transportation experts addressed an audience of approximately 300 citizens about ways to apply the experiences of other countries in the GTHA.

These experts and delegations from other Canadian provinces and other countries – New Zealand, Nigeria, the Netherlands, South Africa, Spain and Sweden – shed much light on problems and best practices.

Advisors

Metrolinx also received generous assistance from an Advisory Committee of representatives from a variety of backgrounds across the region, Technical Advisory Groups of municipal and provincial stakeholders and a Multi-disciplinary Expert Review Panel of independent, objective experts with experience in the fields of transportation and planning, on the challenges and proposed actions of The Big Move.

Orders of Government

It should go without saying that The Big Move would not exist without the incredible support and commitment of the provincial government. We also received significant advice and support from the federal government and the various municipal governments throughout the GTHA.

At every stage of the consultation process, we were both impressed and grateful for the extent, enthusiasm and thoughtfulness of the feedback we received. It informed the development of The Big Move and we know we have a significantly better plan as a result.

INVESTMENT STRATEGY

In tandem with The Big Move, Metrolinx also developed an Investment Strategy to provide immediate, stable and predictable funding for the expansion, operation and renewal of public transit services. The Strategy reflects the “results first” imperative that was repeatedly emphasized by the public and stakeholders during consultations. People want to see early action and results, and the Metrolinx Investment Strategy is designed to deliver. Shovels in the ground will give Metrolinx the credibility to seek new revenues and implementation tools going forward.

For The Big Move to be successful, both financially and in the minds of the public, it is imperative that best practices are used, investment dollars are spent wisely and every stage of every project adheres to rigorous performance agreements.

To determine how to approach each of the projects in The Big Move, Metrolinx is employing a comprehensive Benefits Case Analysis (BCA) technique. While the rapid transit network described is conceptual only, the specific processes and technologies required to bring it to life are being determined through BCA exercises carried out in partnership with municipalities and transit agencies. Each BCA will provide decision makers with a robust and consistent "triple bottom line" evaluation of the environmental, economic and social impacts of each Big Move project. Each BCA will evaluate the relative merits and costs of alternative project options.

Transit projects will also undergo evaluation for their potential for Alternative Financing and Procurement (AFP) to ensure the most appropriate and cost-effective allocation of private and public sector resources. Following the BCA and AFP evaluation, projects will be prioritized and included in the Metrolinx Annual Capital Program and Multi-Year Capital Plan.