Public transit in Peterborough is undergoing major changes. Over the past 10 years, transit service has increased by 20% with ridership increasing by over 40%. At the same time, the city’s population has grown by about 4%, or about a tenth of the ridership growth rate. Looking forward, the city’s population is projected to grow over 35% by 2041. This will increase the demand for more and improved transit service.
A significant portion of the growth in Peterborough is occurring further from the downtown with residential development in the northwest and industrial development in the south. Trent University and Fleming College, two important destinations in the city are also located far from the downtown core. With the current pattern of all the transit routes originating in the downtown, extending service to the outlying areas of Peterborough will be challenging. Changes to the route network and service levels will be required. In addition, the downtown transit hub has reached its capacity and will need to be expanded or relocated to accommodate any service improvements.
The 2012 Comprehensive Transportation Plan set a goal of increasing the share of all transportation trips taken by transit from today’s 4.3% to 6% by 2021. While transit use has been growing, the change in the share of trips taken by transit has not increased significantly, indicating that the transit service is not meeting the needs of the community. To achieve the 6% target, a comprehensive plan for improving and investing in public transit is required.
This study will help determine how the City transit services should best respond to the future needs of the city, and to achieve an increase in the share of trips taken by transit.