Backgrounder: Regional Smart Growth Transportation Consultations

For Immediate Release
January 16, 2002

Regional Smart Growth Transportation Consultations

The Ministry of Transportation and SuperBuild are holding a series of technical workshops throughout Ontario during the months of January and February 2002. The workshops will allow the transportation stakeholders to identify Smart Growth transportation issues, and to define strategic directions for the transportation network in each region.

As a starting point for the discussions, the Ministry of Transportation has prepared a draft Strategic Transportation Directions document for each of the Eastern, Southwestern, Central and Northern regions of Ontario. These four documents will be the basis for an initial set of principles and ideas that could guide Smart Growth Transportation planning in Ontario.

The regional transportation strategies address all modes of transportation including highways, roads, rail, aviation, marine, intercity bus, inter-regional transit and local transit. They set out the broad context for the region's transportation system and strategies for how the transportation system could develop in the long term.

Representatives from the Ministry of Transportation will hear from stakeholders at 15 workshops throughout Ontario. Workshop locations include Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, North Bay, Ottawa, Kingston, Peterborough, Windsor, London, Kitchener-Waterloo, Grimsby, Toronto, Barrie, Markham and Whitby.

The workshops will involve representatives of a cross-section of transportation stakeholder groups including transit agencies, rail companies, road users (e.g.: CAA), municipalities, environmental and other transportation interest groups.

The public may provide feedback on the draft consultation report by mail or through the MTO website.

The issues and ideas raised will contribute to the government's overall Smart Growth transportation strategy.

Ontario Smart Growth

In 2001, Premier Mike Harris announced a new vision for a made-in-Ontario Smart Growth, to promote and manage growth in Ontario — one that would sustain a strong economy, build communities and ensure a clean, healthy environment. Making Smart Growth work requires cooperation form all levels of government to integrate decisions on issues such as transportation, infrastructure, land use, housing and public investment, and to make sure these decisions are balanced with elements vital to Ontario's quality of life.

The province is committed to providing a safe and efficient transportation network for the people of Ontario, ensuring continued economic investment, job creation and a better quality of life.