Active Transportation Plan

The Town of Whitby's Active Transportation Plan (ATP) provides guidance to encourage people to use transit, walk and cycle more often and to make our community more connected and accessible, and safer for everyone.

View the Active Transportation Plan (ATP)

Appendices

Review the appendices to the Active Transportation Plan.

Appendix A – Maps Existing and recommended network

The ATP has outlined the various bike and walking routes that are found within the community:

Appendix B - Detailed cost, phasing and priority projects

View Appendix B to learn about the timing and costs of proposed improvements to walking and cycling facilities within our community.

Appendix C - Public consultation

We consulted with Whitby Residents as well as partners within Durham Region and beyond to ensure the ATP was built for your needs. View our engagement process and results within Appendix C.

Appendix D – Relevant Policies

Learn about the relevant policies, plans and assessments summarized in Appendix D that help guide and inspire the development of the ATP.

Appendix E - Downtown Whitby Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan

Review the Downtown Whitby Transportation and Pedestrian Safety Action Plan in Appendix E to learn how the ATP incorporates it into our goal to make our Town a safe community.

Goals and objectives

The goals and objectives of the Active Transportation Plan are to:

Create a more vibrant and inviting space where people have the opportunity to use non-motorized modes of transportation to work, play and shop
Identify opportunities and make recommendations for improved connectivity, safety, convenience and maintenance
Ensure our transportation options are accessible to all through our best practices with improved engineering, encouragement, equity, education and evaluation
Encourage, promote, create and improve facilities and events for non-motorized transportation
Improve community health through physical activity
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make our environment more sustainable
Alleviate traffic congestion and make it easier to travel around the Town

Recommendations

The Active Transportation Plan provides a variety of recommendations to ensure that we identify critical ways to improve urban mobility in Whitby.

Equity and inclusion

Our equity and inclusion recommendations are to:

Identify route planning, selection, design and implementation with consideration for all users
Develop and update trail and engineering design guidelines and standards to be inclusive
Prepare and update active transportation mapping to reflect existing routes
Provide educational information about the active transportation network and support facilities and amenities
Engage in community based social initiatives and outreach

Sustainability and the environment

Our sustainability and environment recommendations are to:

Identify route planning, selection, design and implementation to be sustainable
Reference municipal class environment assessment processes when moving forward with implementation of active transportation routes and facilities
Consider individual and community benefits when education and communication information and resources are prepared
Use healthy communities, walkable city and sustainability trends when reviewing and revising existing policy to ensure active transportation principles and values are incorporated into the policy statements and design guidelines

Planning and place making

Our planning and place making recommendations are to:

Identify route planning, selection, design and implementation
Ensure timing and type of public and agency consultation is appropriate for the project type
Incorporate the policy considerations included within the ATP as existing and new policies are amended and developed
Consider active transportation and place making opportunities through projects with partner agencies such as stakeholder on Regional and Provincial projects
Regulate facility use
Provision of "placemaking" through gateways, rest areas and urban mobility amenities

Culture change

Our culture change recommendations are to:

Identify route planning, selection, design and implementation
Create an educational framework to assist in shifting the culture to a more active travel based community and enhance rapport with various agencies and stakeholders
Promote a culture of active transportation within our Town

Engineering realm and partnership management

Our engineering realm and partnership management recommendations include:

Identify route planning, selection, design and implementation
Create a staff-driven cross-functional working group to coordinate the implementation of an urban mobility network and ATP initiatives, policy, design, development, maintenance, operations, etc.
Create and update network management tools on an annual basis to assist in planning, implementation and management of active transportation infrastructure
Use a formalized and strategic implementation process for active transportation components that are collaborative, transparent and support sound and efficient decision making
Use the proposed phasing plan as a guide for staff and decision makers and a communication tool for external stakeholders as they proceed with the delivery of the ATP
Review the active transportation priorities list on a semi-annual basis to support discussions with partners and for budgeting and planning
When new developments are proposed, ensure the designs are supportive of active, healthy and walkable communities and principles outlined in this document
Additional consideration should be given to emerging trends as they are identified

Whitby Downtown Action Plan

Recommendations in the Whitby Downton Action Plan include:

Update the Town website to provide a dedicated Downtown Whitby mobility map
Provide street furniture including, but not limited to, benches, garbage receptacles, self-cleaning accessible washrooms, information kiosks and wayfinding signage
Support the work of the Whitby Business Improvement Area, Downtown Whitby Development Steering Committee and business owners to implement murals, sculptures, urban art, patios, etc.
Implement intersection pavement markings and accessibility related improvements (such as tactile plates, locator tones, countdown timers, etc.) at the recommended locations

Downtown Whitby Pedestrian Safety Action Plan

Our recommendations to the Downtown Whitby Pedestrian Safety Action Plan include:

Provide protected pedestrian crossings (signals) at strategic locations on Dundas Street and Brock Street
Modify northeast right turn channel at Brock/Dundas Streets to reduce pedestrian crossing distance and improve accessibility
Provide appropriate sidewalk width at deficient locations
Ensure active transportation and accessibility is planned and protected for in civil works design features and interconnected with adjacent lands
Eliminate gaps in the sidewalk network
Undertake a Corridor Operational and Design Review of Brock Street between south of Burns Street to north of Trent Street Re: Road Diet and Streetscape
Prepare a complete streets plan for Dundas Street between Henry Street and Hickory Street
Revise the Town's existing policies to improve pedestrian safety, comfort and accessibility
Provide and improve amenities to support active transportation in the Downtown areas
Improve pedestrian safety and reduce speeds in the core Downtown area
Mitigate the conflicts with heavy commercial vehicles on Brock Street/through the Downtown
Provide enhancement of transit related infrastructure to support/encourage active transportation in the Downtown