Counter Urbanization. The new trend in Ontario’s changing landscape. Rural Ontario is rapidly becoming HomeTown Ontario as urbanites increasingly vacate hyper markets like the GTA. And it’s not just GTA, this migration is happening across Canada, even across the globe. Driven by an aging population, a growing retirement generation, and shifts in work from home culture, the urban chains to jobs are becoming unlocked, and Ontarians are flocking to the country. Once dormant, dated and financially unstable towns are now flourishing growing communities. But many are struggling to create infrastructure like Public Transit to support their growing community.
That’s where we come in.
OPTA (Ontario Public Transit Association) is the collective voice of the transit industry in Ontario. Our member-driven trade association represents public transit systems, health and social service agency transportation providers, suppliers to the industry, consultants and government representatives
AMO (Association of Municipalities Ontario) works to make municipal governments stronger and more effective. Through AMO, Ontario’s 444 municipalities work together to achieve shared goals and meet common challenges. Through our policy development, cost-saving programs, conferences and training opportunities, AMO provides municipal officials with tools to succeed, and programs to help maximize taxpayer dollars.
The Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) is the rural arm of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO). The association is an integral part of AMO and a number of its Executive Members serve on the AMO Board of Directors. Policy, research and advocacy activities are undertaken by ROMA through AMO. Matters which affect rural communities are brought to the attention of the provincial and federal governments, and include, for example:
The Municipal Finance Officers’ Association of Ontario (MFOA), established in 1989, is the professional association of municipal finance officers with more than 4,500 individual members. We represent individuals who are responsible for handling the financial affairs of municipalities and who are key advisors to councils on matters of finance policy.
MFOA promotes the interests of our members in carrying out their statutory and other financial responsibilities through advocacy, information sharing, networking opportunities, and through the promotion of fiscal sustainability. We also provide members with training and education to enable continuous professional development and to support excellence in municipal finance.
Ministry of Transportation Ontario. Moving people and goods safely, efficiently and sustainably across Ontario to improve quality of life and support a globally competitive economy.
We are a federal institution, leading the Transport Canada portfolio and working with our partners.
Transport Canada is responsible for transportation policies and programs. We promote safe, secure, efficient and environmentally responsible transportation.
CUTA (Canadian Urban Transit Association) is a member-based association that supports public transit as the core of integrated mobility across Canada. We do this by providing our members with the resources, networking, training, events, data, research and advocacy needed to support their success in the industry.
CUTA’s ongoing activities and services are divided into 6 program areas designed to serve the key requirements of the association’s membership: Communications and Public Affairs, Human Resources and Professional Development, Technical Services, Administration and Finance and Association Governance. Learn more about our National Committees.
Public transportation is a major issue for today’s cities, large and small. Rural transit dependancy is expected to increase by nearly 100% by 2025, and many are not ready. Over the past decade or two many small urban cities, and rural towns have either abandoned their transit programs altogether, or are at the least, operating costly, antiquated equipment, dated logistics systems, and are no longer able to meet the demands of todays rider, making Living Rural and Working Urban almost impossible.
Backed by our parent TRANSDEV Group, a global pioneer in Mobility as a Service, we are working to create, together with small Urban Cities and Rural Ontario, the connected cities of tomorrow. Given the challenges of urban to rural migration, highway traffic congestion, inner city parking problems and the growing awareness of the environmental advantages of public transport, the challenge for metropolises is to build intermodal and multimodal mobility systems that integrate new means of transport such as trip pooling, flex scheduling, while offering innovative payment and passenger information services to improve the customer experience.
Inter-modality is one of the keys to smooth public transport and improved passenger service, which is why our priority is to advocate for efficient mobility hubs to guarantee seamless travel. For this, a truly holistic approach is necessary:
Freedom To Move. Ontario is far and wide, and Ontarians’ require the freedom to live where they feel at home, while having opportunity to work, attend higher education, and seek medical services wherever they are available. That’s Freedom to Move.
