Planning for Intercity Mobility: A Business Case for High-Frequency Intercity Bus Services in Ontario's Greater Golden Horseshoe

Abstract

Like most metropolitan regions in North America, areas in southwestern Ontario suffer from auto dependency which results in congestion, negative environmental impacts, and limits on societal and economic well-being. This phenomenon, which is especially prevalent in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH, the area surrounding the City of Toronto) is caused in part by the absence of high quality, attractive intercity public transportation.

This study provides a unique investigation of intercity commuting trends for the GGH region and addresses critical gaps in existing intercity public transit services. The research examines the costs and benefits of introducing highfrequency intercity bus services (IBS) in the GGH to support intercity commuters across the region with the introduction of a viable alternative to private vehicle travel. Unlike the traditional service models of intercity bus services, that appeal to the travel and tourism sector, this research proposes the use of intercity commuter bus services as a means to connect major urban and employment areas within the GGH region, that are currently underserved or not captured by existing intercity transit services. While existing transit agencies may not have the capacity to fund and operate these services, governments can consider innovative service models such as performance-based contracts with private bus companies to provide intercity bus services and fill critical service gaps between outer regions of the GGH.

In the GGH, the governance of transportation systems has been delegated in part to Metrolinx, a Government of Ontario Agency. As such, in this research the Metrolinx Business Case Framework is used to develop an Initial Business Case for a high-frequency, intercity bus service between Waterloo Region and Wellington County. A wide range of high-level assessments are conducted to identify current issues, evaluate a business-as-usual scenario, and determine the feasibility of multiple intercity bus service options. It concludes that there is a strong business case for governments to provide high-quality services along major corridors between the two regions. The Initial Business Case assessment develops a preliminary framework that can be replicated and used to assess similar intercity bus service opportunities among the outer regions of the GGH.