Active Transportation Plan

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

• Map 1 - Existing Facilities
• Map 2 - Recommended Network, South
• Map 3 - Recommended Network, North
• Map 4 - Spine Network, South
• Map 5 - Spine Network, North
• Route Selection Criteria Sheets and Costs

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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