Abstract Manager

The Brampton Mobility Plan (BMP) is the City of Brampton’s 2051 Complete Steets Transportation Master Plan and serves as the blueprint for the City’s investment in the transportation system to support future growth. Unlike traditional transportation master plans that focus on road widenings and moving cars, the BMP rethinks the function of the transportation system to support multi-modal mobility by implementing a complete street network and prioritizes moving people. Rather than the traditional system-focused approach, our team took a user-focused approach in identifying issues and opportunities that influence travel behaviour, and used this approach to shape the final plan.

Similar to many cities across Canada, the City of Brampton was built post-war for the private automobile - with large tracts of land, separated land uses and ample space for vehicle parking. This development pattern resulted in requiring a car for nearly all travel and daily activities.

As Brampton transitions from a suburban to an urban municipality, the population is expected to grow to over 1 million by 2051. If current travel trends continue, Brampton’s road network will experience delay and congestion negatively impacting both the movement of goods and people.

In order to accommodate future growth, the BMP sets a target of a 50% sustainable mode share by 2051. The BMP takes the bold approach of rethinking previously recommended 4 to 6 lane widening projects as network of 4 lane complete streets, building a grid of higher-order transit, prioritizing active transportation infrastructure, providing micro-mobility options, and optimizing the existing network. Brampton’s transportation system plays a critical role in providing equitable access to opportunities and resources within the City. By reclaiming road space and establishing an ‘all ages and abilities’ decision-making framework that prioritizes equitable access for all users, the BMP addresses the evolving mobility needs of the rapidly developing municipality. The plan promotes complete streets improvements and identifies gaps in the transportation network.

Our presentation will touch on Brampton’s transportation planning history and context, the policy changes that led to the BMP, and the policy-led approach that can be used as a model to guide similar transportation master plan studies across Canada.