The City of Burlington has created its first Integrated Mobility Plan (IMP) to guide how people and goods move in and through our community for the next 30 years. The Integrated Mobility Plan Final Report was presented and approved by Burlington City Council on Nov. 14 and approved unanimously.

Several delegations spoke at the Community Planning, Regulation & Mobility (CPRM) Committee in support of the IMP on Tuesday, Oct. 31.

The Integrated Mobility Plan

The IMP is a balance of innovative policies, active programs and capital projects that will guide how Burlington builds and operates a sustainable transportation system city-wide. Together, these initiatives will make getting around Burlington safe, accessible, sustainable, balanced and liveable.

The plan has three key areas for action:

1. Implement transportation network improvements through capital planning and budget,
2. Guide future studies, plans and capital projects to meet the goals of the IMP and
3. Enhance and develop innovative programs to support the implementation of the plan.

Key elements of the integrated network approach include:

• Only widening streets if it improves walking, cycling, transit or safety.
• Giving the right-of-way to pedestrians, cyclists, transit users or for safety.
• Focusing multi-modal corridors, like sidewalks, bike lanes and cut throughs, in growth areas.
• Developing transit infrastructure to improve bus service and reduce transit delays.
• Developing high-quality cycling lanes and pathways for cyclists of all ages and abilities.
• Improving walkability in employment, future growth and rural areas.
• Create new connections for pedestrians and cyclists across the QEW and rail lines.

The IMP provides the vision for the City’s future transportation network and outlines the policy, programs and capital projects needed to meet long-term mobility goals for the next three decades. Council will set and manage how the plan is implemented through the City’s annual capital and operating budgets, and as part of the Multi-year Community Investment Plan (MCIP).

The IMP will be reviewed and refreshed on a 5-year cycle, incorporating updated population and employment forecasts, refining the strategic transportation demand model, and reporting on actual mode share usage and refining targets, where necessary. The IMP provides valuable guidance and input into the 5-year Transit Business Plan and will complement the transit planning.