Highway Corridor Management

Anyone planning to construct on or adjacent to a provincial highway may require a permit from the Ministry of Transportation (MTO). MTO issues permits under the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act and administration of the permits is the responsibility of the Corridor Management Office. The Corridor Management Office reviews applications from developers, municipalities, utility companies, and the general public for adherence to policies and impacts on the highway system, resolving conflicts, issuing permits, and enforcement of violation of policies.

To provide insight into MTO's mandate and interest in municipal official plans, the MTO has developed a guideline entitled "Ontario Ministry of Transportation Guidelines for Municipal Official Plan Preparation and Review." The guideline serves to provide our municipal stakeholders with a detailed account of the wide range of MTO interests in municipal planning documents as well as provide MTO staff with insight into what a municipal official plan should include. We encourage municipalities to incorporate those Ministry policies that are applicable to their municipalities and to work with the MTO during the early stages of their official plan process.

• A Guideline for Municipal Official Plan Preparation and Review

To clarify the respective responsibilities of MTO and proponents where land development necessitates highway improvements, a guideline is provided. The guideline outlines the procedures for proponents who must deal directly or indirectly with MTO and the responsibilities with regard to the design and construction, as well as the financial responsibilities:

• A Guideline for Highway Improvements Associated with Developments

Effective January 1, 2010, all TIS's shall be undertaken by a firm approved under the Ministry of Transportation's consultant Registry, Appraisal and Qualification System (RAQS) under the Traffic Impact Analysis specialty category. Also effective January 1, 2010, TIS's shall be signed and stamped by a Professional Engineer registered in the Province of Ontario taking responsibility for the TIS contents.

The Ministry of Transportation has prepared these guidelines to provide guidance to developers and consultants in the preparation of Traffic Impact Studies (TIS) and the details required in a TIS that would be considered acceptable to the ministry. Compliance with these guidelines and discussions with appropriate Ministry staff in the preliminary stages of the development planning process will provide for a more consistent and efficient review process.

• A General Guideline for the Preparation of Traffic Impact Studies (December 2009)

This one-stop online shop brings together land use planning resource materials from 8 partner ministries including the Ministry of Transportation , for municipal and planning board staff, councils/boards, developers, consultants, agents, and Ontarians. The site also provides access to guides and provincial application forms.

• Planning Application Resource Centre (PARC)

The Corridor Management Office administers control over the following activities on and adjacent to provincial highways:

• Corridor Signage
• Building Construction and Land Use
• Entrances to Provincial Highways
• Encroachments on the MTO Right-of-Way

In addition, the MTO is a mandatory reviewing agency for the following Municipal applications, which are administered under the Planning Act.