The District Municipality of Muskoka is asking residents to weigh in on its first-ever Transportation Master Plan, with the final phase of public engagement now open in Bracebridge and across the region. The plan will guide how roads, transit, and goods movement are developed over the next 30 years.
The draft recommendations were released on July 13, 2026, and reflect feedback collected during two earlier rounds of public input. The comment period closes on August 3, 2026, and people can share their thoughts through an online survey on the Engage Muskoka page or by visiting the project team at select farmers’ markets in the coming weeks.
The plan tackles six key areas: road safety and traffic flow, road connectivity and network resilience, active transportation like walking and cycling, transit and community transportation, environmental protection and community character, and implementation priorities and affordability. The District is responsible for 730 kilometres of roads and 52 bridges, with a network replacement cost pegged at $1.95 billion as of 2024.
For Bracebridge, the plan builds on the town’s own Transportation Master Plan completed in 2023, which already led to speed limit reductions in urban and rural areas this year. The District has invested $117 million in road and transportation projects since 2022, part of nearly $257 million in total infrastructure spending. Recent transit moves include the launch of the on-demand District DRT service in Gravenhurst in November 2024, with expansion plans expected in 2026, supported by up to $1 million from Ontario’s Community Transportation Grant Program.
Road conditions remain a focus, with the average Pavement Condition Index score sitting at 59 out of 100, and a goal to cut the number of segments scoring below 55. Traffic volumes across the District vary widely, from 60 vehicles per day on some rural roads to over 13,000 on busy corridors. Low-volume roads, those with fewer than 500 vehicles daily, make up 19 percent of the network or about 135 kilometres.
