Chamber News

The Ontario Chamber of Commerce released Moving Forward: A Strategic Approach to Ontario’s Transportation Needs calling on the Ontario Government to develop a Long-Term Transportation Plan.
The policy report identifies three areas of opportunity to address the current and future transportation needs of the province and improve the mobility of Ontarians.

• Transit planning governance;
• Moving people and goods by rail; and
• Autonomous vehicles.

The report also includes thirteen tangible recommendations for better managing the province’s interconnected transportation assets, and better serving the needs of both Ontario businesses and residents.

Transit Planning Governance
1. Unlock Metrolinx’s potential to improve integration between regional transit services in the GTHA.
2. Develop a multi-modal transit hub at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
3. Conduct a review of transportation assets and limitations in Northern Ontario to determine how mobility in this region can be immediately improved.
4. Support municipal governments as they develop innovative solutions to address transit challenges.
5. Establish Transportation Ontario, an independent, province-wide transportation planning authority that would advise the Ministry of Transportation and support regional transit agencies.
6. Develop a 30 to 50-year Long-Range Transportation Plan.

Moving People and Goods by Rail
7. Develop a goods movement convenor framework that engages municipalities, the freight industry, relevant provincial Ministries, and the federal government where appropriate.
8. Invest in state-of-the-art technology such as CBTC to address immediate capacity concerns on the TTC subway network.
9. Prioritize investments with the greatest potential to provide a strong return on investment via economic growth.
10. Partner with the Canada Infrastructure Bank to secure funding for critical rail projects in both Northern and Southern Ontario.

Autonomous Vehicles
11. Regularly review and update the existing AV pilot regulatory framework and evaluate existing legislation to determine if AV-relevant modernization is required.
12. Anticipate Ontario’s AV future within the province’s upcoming Long-Term Infrastructure Plan.
13. As the current Canadian leader in this space, the Government of Ontario should encourage the federal government to act on AV readiness.

For more information please contact: Ceara Copps – Edwards Communications Advisor Ontario Chamber of Commerce 

Read the Full Report Here