Areas of work
A regional plan grounded in daily experience
The District Municipality of Muskoka is developing its first Transportation Master Plan. The plan will guide the regional transportation network for the next 30 years and beyond. It considers how roads, bridges, active transportation, transit, accessibility, and safety can respond to growth and changing needs across small towns, rural communities, and waterfront areas.
Muskoka’s geography and seasonal travel patterns create a distinct planning challenge. The District is responsible for approximately 730 kilometres of roads and 52 bridges, along with demand-responsive transit. The work also considers speeding, seasonal congestion, emergency detours, gaps in walking and cycling connections, access to essential services, and connections to the future Northlander rail service.
My leadership role
I serve as Consultant Project Manager through R.J. Burnside & Associates Limited and lead the consultant assignment in coordination with the District.
I direct the analysis, play a leading role in public engagement, facilitate public events, and deliver project presentations. My role is to carry the work from different experiences and priorities toward a clear regional direction. I explain the choices, connect public input to the options being evaluated, and give decision-makers a clear account of the opportunities, limitations, and trade-offs.
Community input throughout the process
I have played a leading role in the project’s public engagement and have facilitated public events across Muskoka. During the first two engagement stages, the project recorded over 400 face-to-face interactions through pop-up events, received over 450 online survey responses, distributed over 150 copies of the first Community Learning Series resource, and used an interactive map to collect location-specific comments.
The Community Learning Series gave people plain-language information about transportation master planning, active transportation, road safety, and traffic calming. Participants could use that background when reviewing issues and offering input.
Engagement also examined transportation barriers related to distance, cost, limited service, safety, and access to a vehicle. These conversations connected transit coverage, reliability, active transportation, and first- and last-mile travel to the need to reach food banks, community centres, and other essential services.
How input shaped the analysis
The early engagement identified recurring concerns about road safety, seasonal congestion, network resilience, local walking and cycling connections, and mobility options.
I directed the analysis that translated these concerns into long-term alternatives. The study tested road capacity and expansion, active transportation and complete communities, transit and shared mobility, and a balanced integrated strategy. Each alternative was assessed using the same criteria: transportation service, safety, natural and cultural heritage, planning and policy objectives, and financial considerations.
This structure gave participants and decision-makers a consistent way to consider the trade-offs. Road improvements can support regional travel and may carry environmental and financial implications. Active transportation can strengthen local mobility and safety. Transit and shared mobility can improve access and require sustained operating coordination and funding.
Current direction
The preliminary preferred solution is a balanced integrated transportation strategy. It combines targeted road improvements with active transportation, transit and mobility services, safety policies, and future-ready infrastructure. The direction remains preliminary and is subject to public feedback and further refinement.
The plan is ongoing, with finalization planned for the end of 2026. The case study will be updated when the final plan is complete.