FAQ

Active transportation (or active travel, active mobility) refers to any mode of travel that relies on human power to move people and/or occasionally goods. The most popular modes of active transportation are walking and cycling. The term, however, applies to any other human-powered mobility including using a wheelchair, jogging, skateboarding, rollerblading, riding kick scooters, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing.

Active transportation has numerous benefits. Some of the benefits are outlined below:

• By travelling using active modes, residents can incorporate physical activity directly into their regular daily routines, which can reduce the risk of depression, heart disease, obesity, and other ailments.

• The use of active modes helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Local air pollution and noise pollution can also be reduced through increased active transportation use. Increased active transportation is also an important step towards becoming a more sustainable city.

• Active transportation facilities are space-efficient and have the potential to move a large number of people while occupying a small amount of space, relative to other modes of travel.

• Finally, more people walking or cycling in a community can provide social and safety benefits, including providing more opportunities for social interaction. Many streets designed for active transportation operate with slower motor vehicle traffic, which makes them safer for all road users.

Markham is committed to developing a transportation system that increases mobility options for all users, including pedestrians, cyclists, and transit riders. The City’s Official Plan acknowledges the desire, and the challenge, to transition from a car-dependent community to one where cycling and walking are attractive alternatives.

Markham needs an updated ATMP in order to effectively and efficiently achieve these goals. The ATMP will:

• Allow for the active transportation networks to grow in a coordinated, connected and logical manner;

• Prioritize projects which will have the biggest impact;

• Help Markham’s transportation networks keep up with the City’s growth; and

• Help Markham meet sustainability and environmental goals

The Active Transportation Master Plan is expected to be finalized by the summer of 2020.