FAQ

Halton Hills Resident Meeting Qs & As

1. What is the Transportation Development Strategy?

The key elements of the Strategy includes -

• Optimize use of existing transportation infrastructure through Transportation Demand Management and Transportation System Management measures, in cooperation with Metrolinx
• Support implementation of the transit initiatives in Metrolinx RTP and GO 2020
• Initiate a study to investigate inter-regional transit opportunities linking western urban centres
• Widen selected highways to provide additional capacity, including potential HOV lanes
• Protect and implement a new transportation corridor from Highway 400 westerly to Highway 401, east of the Niagara Escarpment

The key elements of the recommended new corridor includes -

• a new transportation corridor from Highway 400 westerly to Highway 401 on the west side of Milton, east of the Niagara Escarpment; and
• a North-South Link to Highway 401/407 ETR, which would provide key ramp connections that serve long-distance, inter-regional traffic.

2. How was the Strategy developed and why is it needed?

The Strategy was the result of the GTA West Corridor Planning and Environmental Assessment Study (Stage 1). The GTA West Study reflects the principles and directions of Ontario's key policy documents, including the GGH Growth Plan and the Greenbelt Plan. The Study has examined all reasonable options to address long-term transportation needs and to provide better links in the GTA West Corridor such as rail, bus, and highways.

The Transportation Development Strategy is a balanced combination of initiatives that includes optimizing the existing network, enhancing transit services, and a progressive, multi-modal transportation corridor solution.

This multi-modal transportation strategy features:

• A "transit first" approach - supporting existing long-range transit plans with the need to explore further enhancements;
• Making better use of transportation infrastructure that is already in place - through optimization including use of advanced technologies;
• Providing more and better choices for people and shippers making trip decisions - with more effective transit and rail infrastructure and services;
• Pursuing means to reduce travel demands - through building on current TDM programs such as Smart Commute, and increased self-containment (jobs and homes in the same community);
• Introducing timely transportation improvements – to influence decisions on mode choice and to accommodate projected growth; and
• Shaping growth through provision of transportation services

3. How will the GTA West Corridor integrate with the Halton-Peel Boundary Area Transportation Study (H-P BATS)?

The recommended new corridor includes a North-South Link to Hwy 401/407 ETR which would be similar to the HP BATS corridor as recommended in the municipal study.

The recommended North-South link at the Hwy 401/407 ETR interchange would provide key ramp connections that serve more long-distance, inter-regional traffic. MTO will work with municipalities and 407 ETR to determine the ramp connections at the interchange between the North-South Link and 401/407 ETR.

MTO will work with municipalities to coordinate the two initiatives as they move forward.

4. How would MTO address the impact of the new corridor on agriculture and rural communities, such as those in the Town of Halton Hills?

It is recognized that the proposed new transportation corridor will result in potential direct impact on agriculture and rural communities. The impact on agriculture was considered in two aspects - potential loss of agricultural land, and potential to fragment farm operations.

The impact to specific agricultural operations and rural communities can be mitigated through the route location process by avoiding rural communities and following lot lines to the extent possible. The impact on farm operations could be further reduced during design stage by ensuring adequate connections (underpasses or overpasses) across the corridor are provided to link farm operations and communities.

In addition, potential future land use changes can be controlled by limiting access and proper land use planning that would limit the introduction of non-agricultural uses into the area.

5. What is the link between this study and the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe?

In June 2006, the Province released the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) which sets out the vision and policy direction for managing growth in the region. The Growth Plan informs infrastructure priorities in the GGH, including the planning and development of an integrated and efficient transportation system to support a strong economy and high quality of life. The Growth Plan provides that public transit is the first priority for moving people while highway investment is to facilitate efficient goods movement.

The Growth Plan supports improvements to the region's transportation network necessary to ensure the efficient movement of people and goods. Improvements to the transportation network in the GTA West area are contemplated in the Growth Plan. This includes consideration of highway solutions, where consistent with Growth Plan policies.

6. Why was the study initiated and what is the purpose of the study?

The Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) is one of the fastest growing regions in North America. To support economic growth and manage increased transportation demand, improvements to the existing transportation network will be necessary.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has initiated Stage 1 of a formal Environmental Assessment (EA) Study for the GTA West Corridor. The purpose of the study is to proactively plan for future infrastructure needs by examining long-term transportation problems and opportunities to the year 2031 and consider options to provide better movement of both people and goods between urban areas in the GTA West Corridor Preliminary Study Area, including designated Urban Growth Centres.

These improvements will be planned and managed in accordance with the Growth Plan for the GGH which recognizes the need to plan for improved transportation corridors and conceptually identifies future transportation corridors in the region.

7. Why is 2031 used as the planning horizon? Is it too short for major infrastructure planning such as the GTA West Corridor?

The study used 2031 as the planning horizon which is consistent with the Growth Plan and municipal official plans where future population and employment have been projected and allocated. While recognizing the need to do longer-term planning, it is important to strike a balance between the need for longer planning horizon and the need to have reliable forecasts for future growth patterns in order to make informed decisions for planning major infrastructures. The GTA West Strategy is a long-term comprehensive solution.

8. What is the study process and what are the key steps?

The study is being undertaken as an Individual Environmental Assessment (EA) in accordance with the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (EA Act) and the GTA West Corridor Terms of Reference (ToR), which was approved by the Ontario Minister of the Environment on March 4, 2008. The current stage (Stage 1) of the EA Study includes the following key steps:

• Develop an EA Terms of Reference that guides the EA Study;
• Identify transportation problems and opportunities;
• Identify and assess transportation alternatives that address the identified problems and opportunities; and
• Select a preferred transportation alternative(s) and recommend a multi-modal Transportation Development Strategy for the study area.

9. What are the next steps in the process once the Transportation Development Strategy report as been released?

Once public and agency input has been received and incorporated, the revised Transportation Development Strategy Report will represent the conclusion of the first stage of the EA.

MTO will hold further discussions with other agencies and transportation service providers to advance all elements of the Strategy to next stages. The recommended timing and responsible agencies can be found in the report.

For the new transportation corridor, the Stage 2 EA will involve the generation, assessment and selection of the preferred route alignment for the corridor as recommended in the Transportation Development Strategy, in addition to preliminary design.

10. What is the relationship between the Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) and the GTA West Corridor Study?

Released in November 2008, Metrolinx’s RTP, also called "The Big Move", sets out a long range transportation plan for the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area that integrates new and existing local transit and regional transit. It also supports intensified development in key nodes and transit corridors in support of the Growth Plan.

The GTA West Corridor Study builds on the Metrolinx RTP, the GO 2020 Strategic Plan and other provincial and municipal transit initiatives. The travel demand forecasting work that is included in the GTA West Study also incorporates the assumptions made in both the RTP and the component RTP projects. This is key for the development of transportation alternatives (road, rail, etc).

11. Why is a Highway Based Solution Needed - Why can't we just expand transit initiatives and improve other modes of transportation?

Notwithstanding the positive improvements mentioned above, by the year 2031, roadway congestion will still exist and additional highway capacity will be necessary to meet the future transportation needs.

The Project Team has developed alternatives to address the identified transportation system deficiencies including rail, transit, marine, and air as well as Transportation Demand Management, Transportation System Management initiatives, and transit improvements beyond those identified by Metrolinx and GO Transit.

Our analysis has identified that additional roadway capacity will be required to realize the vision of a more efficient transportation network that provides user choices and balance. As outlined in the draft Transportation Development Strategy (presented at PIC #4), this includes a combination of strategic widening of existing highways and protecting for a new transportation corridor and links to it.

12. The new corridor is shown to cross portions of the Greenbelt. Is this allowed? How will MTO address the impact on the Greenbelt?

Existing, expanded or new infrastructure is permitted in the Greenbelt according to the Greenbelt Plan, provided that the infrastructure serves the significant growth and economic development expected in Southern Ontario beyond the Greenbelt by providing for the appropriate connections among urban growth centres and between these centres and Ontario's borders. A new corridor crossing of the Greenbelt in the City of Vaughan cannot be avoided as the designation is associated with the Humber River Valley that runs north to south throughout the study area.

To minimize potential effects, a Preliminary Route Planning Study Area has been identified to provide maximum crossing opportunities at locations where crossings of key natural features cannot be avoided (i.e. major valleys and rivers) so that numerous crossing locations can be examined during Stage 2 (Route Planning) of the EA.

MTO will fully integrate the goals, objectives and policy requirements of the Greenbelt Plan into the subsequent stage of the EA through impact assessment and mitigation in accordance to the infrastructure policies set out in the Plan.

13. Will the new corridor impact the Niagara Escarpment at the proposed corridor connection with Highway 401 west of Milton?

The recommended new corridor would connect to the west side of Milton while avoiding a new crossing of the Niagara Escarpment. The new corridor would provide strong transportation benefits to area communities and the regional economy while avoiding significant effect to the Greenbelt or the Niagara Escarpment that would occur with some other alternatives.

It is recognized that, given land development and geometric constraints, it may not be possible to fully avoid the Niagara Escarpment Planning Area. The new corridor could impact some lands designated Escarpment Rural Area and could infringe on some lands designated Escarpment Protection Area in the Niagara Escarpment Plan.

14. What other initiatives has the study considered to address congestion?

By 2031 the population in the Greater Golden Horseshoe is expected to increase by almost 4 million people. To accommodate this growth, the study team anticipates to:

• Achieving land use intensification targets prescribed in the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe;
• Building urban growth centres with transit supportive densities and a healthy mix of land uses;
• Fostering the development of compact, vibrant and complete communities in which people will live, work, and play;
• Accommodating an additional 700 million transit trips within the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area;
• Fully realizing all current provincial transportation plans (e.g. Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan, GO 2020);
• Supporting a much larger proportion of commuters to switch from single occupant cars to transit and carpools;
• Diverting a significant share of goods transport from long distance trucks to rail, marine, and air; and
• Fully implementing the recommendations to use existing infrastructure better, along with additional related actions.

15. Why are the Niagara to GTA (NGTA) and GTA West studies conducted as two different studies? Do they share a common study limit? Could corridors identified from the two studies potentially connect?

These studies are separate as their purposes are distinct and separate, and each is intended to address different sets of transportation problems and opportunities. Highway 401 is the common boundary between the two studies. The new corridor recommended in the draft GTA West Strategy would have two connecting points to Highway 401 – one along the Peel-Halton Boundary to Highway 401/407 ETR, another on the west side of Milton. A linkage to the Niagara to GTA corridor could therefore be provided through either of these connections. There has been a high level of coordination between these two studies, for example:

• Both studies use the same baseline data (land use, GGH networks), assumptions, and methodology for demand forecasting;
• Both studies apply the same process, factors, and criteria for the generation, assessment and evaluation of alternatives;
• The GTA West Study process allows for the incorporation of any particular alternative considered in the NGTA Study and vice versa; and
• Both studies are being undertaken by the same MTO office and same consultant consortium.

16. Will MTO be coordinating the route selection of the recommended transportation corridor with possible new transmission lines?

MTO has been in discussion with Hydro One and the Ontario Power Authority (OPA) to coordinate the GTA West Corridor planning with a possible future transmission corridor within the study area. We are committed to exploring the opportunities to coordinate planning for public infrastructure whenever it is possible. MTO will continue to coordinate with Hydro One and OPA in the next Stage of the EA.

17. What role will 407 ETR play in the study?

407 ETR forms part of the transportation system in the GTA West Corridor area and has been considered in the study in the assessment of the overall transportation network to meet future demand. MTO will continue to work with 407 ETR in the subsequent stages of the study process.

18. Has tolling been considered in the current stage of the study?

No. This study is not considering tolling.

19. A Preliminary Route Planning Study Area is identified for the new corridor. Does that mean all developments within the study area boundary will be frozen?

The preliminary study area for route planning (Stage 2 EA) has been established to provide a basis for the province and municipalities to monitor development applications and apply corridor protection policies. It does not mean an entire freeze on development within the study area limits. Development applications within the study area will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis to ensure that the planning and implementation of the new transportation corridor is not compromised.

The study area also provides a focused area as the start of Stage 2 EA within which a reasonable range of route alternatives can be considered in the next stage in the EA. One of the first components of the Stage 2 EA will include consultation on the preliminary route planning study area with municipalities, the public and stakeholders.

20. Why doesn't the Preliminary Study Area include Kitchener-Waterloo?

The future travel demand and linkage between Kitchener-Waterloo and Guelph will be addressed by the proposed new Highway 7, as a controlled-access highway (similar to the current Conestoga Parkway). The Environmental Assessment for the new Highway 7 has been completed and approved by the Ministry of the Environment. The project is now entering detailed design.

Regardless, the travel demand analysis and consideration of inter-regional transit was carried out in a much broader context including the examination of transportation linkages and gateways outside the Preliminary Study Area that may have an influence on the travel demand and traffic patterns in the GTA West Corridor, including Kitchener-Waterloo.

The Region of Waterloo is also represented on the Municipal Advisory Group.

21. What is an EA Terms of Reference?

For proposed new transportation corridors that follow an Individual EA, the first step in this process is the development of an EA Terms of Reference (ToR) document that outlines the framework and commitments for completing the subsequent EA study. The ToR outlines how the proponent will conduct the study and how impacts will be assessed. It outlines the process for identifying:

• Transportation planning/need;
• Alternatives to the undertaking;
• Definition of an EA study area;
• Range and types of alternatives to be considered; and the,
• Generation and evaluation of alternatives to be considered.

The ToR also outlines the consultation process to be undertaken. In a major undertaking such as an Individual EA, a consultation program will typically include Public Information Centres (PICs), meetings with a Regulatory Agency Advisory Group (RAAG), Municipal Advisory Group (MAG), Community Advisory Group (CAG), a project web site, a local project office, individual meetings with stakeholders and stakeholder groups, and issue-specific workshops. The consultation program can be tailored to meet the requirements of each individual project. The EA ToR document must be submitted to the Minister of the Environment for review and approval. If approval is granted, the proponent (e.g., MTO) may then proceed with the subsequent EA study. Once completed, this study will also in turn be submitted to the Minister of Environment for review and approval. If approved, the proponent can then proceed with design and construction.

These stages are also regulated by the Canada Environmental Assessment Act (CEAA) and require additional environmental studies and consultation.

22. How does an Individual EA differ from a Class EA?

A Class EA is a decision-making framework under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act that applies to a range of similar, or class of, projects. A Class EA is used when potential environmental impacts and the proposed mitigation techniques are predictable and/or similar to other projects within that same class. MTO's "Class EA for Provincial Transportation Facilities" document was developed in consultation with the Ministry of the Environment, and similar to an Individual EA, it defines and documents the process to be followed when conducting the EA study as well as requirements for public participation.

23. How is MTO fulfilling its commitment towards achieving a sustainable transportation network within the GTA West Corridor study?

The ministry is developing a "Sustainability Strategy" for transportation planning in Ontario, a draft of which was recently posted on the Environmental Bill of Rights website for public review and comment. The main goal of the strategy will be to influence ministry decision-making at all levels, and to incorporate the concept of 'sustainability' into policies and programs that have an impact on the provincial transportation system. There are already many areas within the Ministry where the concept of "sustainability" is being incorporated. For example, MTO maintains a Statement of Environmental Values or SEV, which recognizes that a healthy environment is necessary to sustain the prosperity of current and future generations. The ministry's SEV states that the protection, conservation, and where appropriate, restoration of the environment will be integrated into the strategic planning, day-to-day activities, and long-term decision-making of the ministry. The "Sustainability Strategy" will help to promote the values and goals of the ministry's SEV by taking a systematic and public approach to integrating the principles of sustainability into the work that MTO does. The GTA West Corridor study has incorporated sustainability concepts such as the 'Three Pillars of Sustainability", otherwise referred to as 'the triple bottom line' into the study process. Considering "the Environment", "the Economy", and "the Community" in decision-making will help to ensure that the identification of problems and opportunities, and the ultimate transportation solution will be developed in support of:

• Compact, vibrant and complete communities;
• A prosperous and competitive economy; and
• A protected environment.