Travel demand forecasting models are an essential tool for planning and policy analyses and
evaluations. In Ontario, several planning agencies have developed urban transportation models,
either using the traditional four-stage trip-based modelling approach or the more advanced
types (for example, activity-based models). The Ministry of Transportation of Ontario (MTO) has
several forecasting tools to aid in planning and policy analyses, including the one for the megaregion
of Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH). Outside of this area, there was no single
forecasting tool for passenger and freight that is consistent and integrated. To fill this gap, MTO
undertook a best practice review of practice on multimodal, integrated modelling framework at
the provincial scale and embarked on a project to develop such a tool.
