Ontario. Ministry of Transportation. Policy, Planning and Standards Division

• Policy, Planning and Standards Division

The Planning and Standards Division of the Ministry of Transportation was created in 1999 when the Policy and Planning Division was merged with certain branches and units of the Quality and Standards Division. While the Policy and Planning Division remained largely intact, only the Research and Development Branch of the Quality and Standards Division remained in its original form. The Engineering Materials Office of the Transportation Engineering Branch, and the Corridor Policy Office of the Construction and Operations Branch were also part of the merger, but the other units of the latter two branches were moved to the Operations Division.

In the ensuing years, the Policy, Planning and Standards Division also included the ministry's Communications Branch for a short time, first as part of the Corporate Policy and Communications Branch, and then as a separate Communications Branch, before it was relocated to the Deputy Minister's office. The Strategic Policy Branch was also created in the new division. Its origins were in the Strategic Planning and Management Team of the former Policy and Planning Division, but the new branch was greatly expanded to include the Policy Co-ordination Office, Strategic Intelligence Office, and Strategic Policy and Planning Office.

The division underwent another re-organization during the 2006-2007 fiscal year, when the standards-related responsibilities of the division were once again split off, this time to form part of the Provincial Highway Management Division. The policy and planning responsibilities remained under the Policy and Planning Division, which once again reverted to its former name.

The Planning and Standards Division was responsible for the long-term planning and use of the provincial transportation network. It provided the ministry's policy link to other modes including rail, air, marine and municipal transportation. The division contributed to Ontario's economy by helping to plan a transportation network that supported trade and commerce, and by promoting a competitive transportation industry. The division also developed engineering standards, policies, and guidelines for the design, construction, operations and rehabilitation of the provincial transportation system.

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