Transit-Supportive Policy: Evaluating Municipal Plans in Medium-Sized Canadian Municipalities

Canadian municipalities have implemented many transit-supportive planning policies over the last twenty-five years in an attempt to reduce car dependency, provide alternative transportation options, and support transit-related developments. While many municipalities have incorporated transit-supportive guidelines within their plans, experts have highlighted the challenges of developing a strong transit-supportive policy and having it implemented successfully. This study surveys the municipal plans of twenty-nine medium-sized municipalities in Canada, using a codified matrix consisting of an evaluation index, to advance our understanding of (1) what makes a municipality and their policy supportive of transit, and (2) what are the contextual factors and correlations behind municipalities that have strong or weak transit-supportive policies. This study reveals the critical success factors that make a municipality and its policy supportive of transit development and contextual factors behind cities that have strong or weak transit-supportive policies.