● WHEREAS York Region’s 30-year Transportation Master Plan (TMP) sets a multimodal framework to 2051 and targets first/last-mile connections, safety, equity and accelerated electrification, approved by Council on September 29, 2022; and
● WHEREAS the Region is forecast to grow to 2,020,000 people and 990,000 jobs by 2051, requiring scalable transit solutions to meet its projected growth; and,
● WHEREAS York Region Transit (YRT) reported record ridership of 23.7 million in 2024 (up 12% year-over-year), noting benefits from the One Fare program; with evolving growth pressures tied to current and future development; and,
● WHEREAS Council recognizes and supports YRT’s existing Mobility On-Request program and should consider evaluating emerging transit solutions that enhance reliability and operating efficiencies; and,
● WHEREAS some N6 municipalities face limited fixed route coverage and have routes with lower revenue-to-cost recovery, making equitable access to fixed route service challenging;
● WHEREAS the TMP explicitly targets low demand communities with demand responsive solutions; and,
● WHEREAS YRT’s zero emission bus program is funded through various programs (Regional, Federal and Provincial) supporting near term, zero emission deployments that integrate with existing services; and,
● WHEREAS there are entities, such as Argo Transit Corporation, potentially capable of providing turnkey transit solutions that could deploy rapidly, and integrate with existing transit services, investments, and infrastructure
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT:
1. Council direct staff to provide a report on progress of the continued expansion of Mobility On-Request program.
2. That staff report back at the February 5, 2026 Committee of the Whole with a report that:
a) Outlines the current state of Mobility On-Request Services, identifies planned areas of opportunity to support growing and changing system demands, assesses emerging service delivery models such as ARGO, and recommends near and long term steps for service delivery.
b) Financial compatibility and technical analysis of emerging service delivery models.
3. Municipal participation: Continue to work with local municipalities to develop and coordinate context-sensitive solutions as municipalities needs evolve as it relates to development growth, first mile/last mile connections, and integration with fixed route and higher order transit.