In the winter of 2008 GO Transit unveiled its strategic plan – GO 2020. The plan outlines GO Transit’s vision for the next 12 years and includes a series of goals and objectives and a corresponding service strategy. One of its express objectives is the prioritization of walking, cycling and public transit within the station areas. The intent is to maximize the use of existing parking through car-pooling, car sharing and other measures and identify opportunities to encourage walking, cycling and taking transit to the station.

In 2009 Urban Strategies was retained to develop a series of specific design features and strategies aimed at achieving a shift in travel mode across GO Transit’s 60+ rail stations throughout the Greater Toronto Area. The final report outlines a series of best practice strategies across a range of topics including; pedestrian and cycling access, station layout and design and community connectivity. It identifies the benefits and drawbacks of various approaches towards improving station access and illustrates a through a series of demonstration projects both “quick win” and “show case” enhancements.