Major Transit Station Areas (MTSAs) & Protected Major Transit Station Areas (PMTSAs) in-effect

On August 15, 2025, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing approved six OPAs bringing new policies for 25 MTSAs and 95 PMTSAs into force and effect. The Minister’s Decisions made modifications to the height and density of the Council-adopted OPAs, increasing permitted building heights and densities near transit. The approval of these OPAs brings Inclusionary Zoning policies into effect in certain PMTSAs.

The above OPAs bring Chapter 8 into the Official Plan. The Minister’s approval and modifications change permissions within land use designations within MTSAs and PMTSAs as summarized below:

Neighbourhoods:

• Permit up to 6-storey apartments in Neighbourhoods within 200 metres of transit stations and on lands fronting a Major Street (per Official Plan Map 3 ), and
• Permit up to 4-storey multiplexes and apartment buildings across the entire Station Area.

Mixed Use Areas, Apartment Neighbourhoods, and Regeneration Areas:

Larger sites which can accommodate three or more towers will permit:

• Building heights of up to 30 storeys within 200 metres of transit stations and
• Building heights of up to 20 storeys within 200-500 metres of transit stations.
• Additional height may be permitted if applicants submit a block context plan which demonstrates elements such as new public streets, new parks, publicly accessible open spaces, mid-block connections, public art, and a mix of building types and heights.

The MTSA and PMTSA policies will have to be applied together with all other appropriate policies of the Official Plan, applicable Secondary Plans or Chapter 7 Site and Areas Specific Policies (SASPs), including matters of heritage, built form and public realm, servicing, natural areas, parks and other open spaces, and others. In the case of conflicts between Secondary Plans/SASPs and MTSAs and PMTSAs, whichever policies provide greater densities will prevail.

Major Transit Station Areas Not in Force

The Minister withheld issuing a Decision on 10 PMTSAs and four MTSAs previously adopted by Council. This included 12 stations identified as Transit-Oriented Communities: East Harbour, Exhibition, Scarborough Centre, Gerrard-Carlaw, Yonge-Steeles, Rouge Hill, Milliken, Don Valley (Science Centre), Long Branch, Scarborough GO, and Guildwood GO. The Minister also withheld issuing a Decision on the two PMTSAs within the Keele Finch Secondary Plan area: Finch West and Sentinel.

MTSA and PMTSA policies will not be in effect on these Council-adopted MTSA and PMTSAs until the Minister issues a Decision.

Note:

Most MTSAs and PMTSAs have one or two Avenue segments located within the service areas. The introduction of new avenues (see below) increases the complexity in the implementation of the new MTSA and PMTSA policies.