The City of Toronto’s Jane Finch Initiative is a resident-informed project to plan for the future of this neighbourhood, located in the northwest of Toronto. The work involves developing a community plan and land use planning framework so that residents and businesses are supported through the opening of the Finch West LRT. The Access team, in partnership with Perkins & Will, was retained to develop urban design, public realm and mobility design options for sites within the Jane Finch Initiative study area in support of a new land use planning framework for the area (“the Study”).   

Our team leveraged their experience developing plans for new major infrastructure projects to deliver the Study's Mobility and Transit Integration Strategy component. This involved analyzing current mobility conditions such as mode share, travel behaviour, transit access, barriers to walking and cycling, and access to new and emerging mobility services. Various approaches were used to inform this analysis including GIS mapping, interviews with mobility providers, desktop research and engagement with youth. Our findings highlight the need to enhance active connections to the transit network, prioritize pedestrian safety around schools and community resources, establish missing cycling connections, and upgrade end-of-trip facilities. 

The work resulted in a final report approved by City Council in June 2024. The Mobility and Transit Integration Strategy will help focus interventions to improve mobility in the Jane and Finch neighbourhood over the coming years. The full report is available at the following link: https://www.toronto.ca/legdocs/mmis/2024/ey/bgrd/backgroundfile-246202.pdf