Transit master plan proposes new connections across Kawartha Lakes communities

DARRYL KNIGHT Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for The Standard

KAWARTHA LAKES: Getting around Kawartha Lakes without a car could look very different over the next decade, if the City’s draft Regional Ten-Year Transit Master Plan becomes reality.

Council received the draft plan during its Tuesday, August 25th regular meeting, opening the door to a potential expansion of public transit, beyond the existing Lindsay Transit system.

The proposed 10-year roadmap calls for a more connected municipal transit network, including: redesigned Lindsay routes; fixed-route service, linking Lindsay with Bobcaygeon and Fenelon Falls; exploration of a future Lindsay-to-Peterborough connection; and flexible microtransit services, for rural and lower-density areas.

For residents, the plan could eventually mean more options for reaching healthcare, education, employment, shopping, and other essential services, both within Kawartha Lakes and beyond.

However, those changes are not coming immediately.

Council’s decision, on August 25th, was to release the draft plan for public and stakeholder review. Staff are expected to return to Council, with the results of that consultation and recommendations regarding adoption, no later than the second quarter of 2027.

The draft plan was developed by Via Transportation, after the City retained the company, in 2025, to examine existing transit services, future transportation needs, and opportunities for improving mobility throughout the municipality.

The study comes as Kawartha Lakes faces both population growth and an aging population. The plan noted, approximately 28 percent of residents are currently over the age of 65, while much of the municipality’s future population growth is expected in Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Fenelon Falls, and Omemee.

Those demographic changes are expected to increase demand for transportation, to medical appointments, employment, education, shopping, and social services.

The plan does not suggest Lindsay lacks transit coverage. In fact, the study found, more than 95 percent of Lindsay residents live within walking distance of a transit stop.

Instead, it identifies opportunities to make the existing system more efficient and convenient.

Current routes can involve long alignments and hourly service, which can result in lengthy trips and waiting times.

The draft plan explores redesigned routes, improved service frequencies, and stronger connections between major destinations, including: downtown Lindsay, Ross Memorial Hospital, Fleming College, and Lindsay Square Mall.

The goal would be to make the existing network easier to use while positioning it for future ridership growth.

One of the most significant changes proposed is the introduction of public transit between Kawartha Lakes’ larger urban communities.

The plan identifies potential fixed-route connections, between Lindsay, Bobcaygeon, Omemee, and Fenelon Falls, communities which currently do not have public transit links between them.

The study found, residents already travel between these communities for healthcare, work, education, shopping, recreation, and municipal services.

Creating inter-community transit could provide an alternative for residents who do not drive or do not have access to a vehicle.

The plan also looks beyond the municipal boundaries.

A potential Lindsay-to-Peterborough connection is identified as an opportunity reflecting community feedback, which highlighted Peterborough and connections to the GO Transit network as among the most frequently requested regional transportation priorities.

Such a connection could eventually provide residents with improved access to post-secondary education, employment, specialist healthcare, and larger regional transportation networks.

For a municipality as geographically large and rural as Kawartha Lakes, traditional bus routes cannot necessarily serve every community efficiently.

That is where microtransit enters the draft plan.

Rather than operating on a fixed route and schedule, microtransit would use smaller vehicles and demand-responsive technology, allowing riders to request trips based on their needs.

The draft plan examines several potential microtransit models which could connect rural residents with larger urban centres, healthcare facilities, employment, shopping, and transit hubs.

It could offer a more flexible option for communities, where conventional fixed-route transit may not be practical or cost-effective.

While the draft plan lays out an ambitious vision, Council has not approved the proposed expansions or committed funding to implement them.

The City’s current annual transit operating budget is approximately $2 million.

Under the consultant’s recommended implementation scenario, annual operating costs could eventually rise to approximately $11 million by 2036. The plan also identifies substantial future capital requirements for vehicle replacement and fleet expansion.

Those figures are planning-level estimates, rather than approved budgets.

Implementing the plan, in its entirety, could place significant pressure on municipal finances and the property tax base.

Future initiatives would therefore be subject to individual business cases, funding analysis, budget deliberations, and Council approval.

The draft plan suggests a phased approach, including pilot projects and performance reviews, allowing Council to determine whether proposed services are attracting riders and providing sufficient community benefit, before making larger long-term investments.

Potential funding sources identified in the plan, include: transit fares, provincial and federal programs, partnerships, and other external funding.

Council directed staff to circulate the draft plan for public review, as well as to: the Accessibility Advisory Committee, Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes, and Fleming College.

Council also directed the draft be circulated, to the Environmental Advisory Committee, for review and comment.

The public consultation process will now help shape the plan, before it returns to Council for consideration for final adoption.

For now, the document represents a roadmap rather than a commitment, but it offers a glimpse at what a more connected Kawartha Lakes transit system could look like, by the mid-2030s.