Association of Municipalities of Ontario

Annual Conference

AMOl08.2017

Minister of Transportation

The Honourable Steven Del Duca

AMOl08.2017 Annual Conference

1 Ministry of Transportation

Improving Goods Movement Background

Given its central location and proximity to the US border, the Region of Peel is a significant goods movement hub for the Greater Toronto Hamilton Area (GTHA), the province and the country.

• Approximately $1.8 billion worth of goods move through and across Peel every day.

• In Peel, approximately 68,000 vehicles transport goods every day.

• The Peel road network serves almost half a million trucks weekly, which accounts for 50 per cent of the 951,000 weekly truck trips in Ontario.

• The goods movement industry in Peel accounts for 21 per cent of the province’s goods movement gross domestic product.

The Region of Peel is also one of the fastest growing municipalities in Ontario. Peel’s population is expected to grow from the current 1.4 million people to almost two million by 2041. With so many people, it is not surprising that managing traffic congestion is already a significant challenge.

In fact, when residents were asked to identify the most important problem facing Peel as part of the 2016 Fall Focus GTA survey, the most common answer was “transportation”. Considering the anticipated growth in Peel, traffic congestion will be an increasingly important issue.

Four in every nine jobs depend on the movement of goods in Peel Region. These jobs in turn create $29 billion in labour income.

Peel needs to accommodate movement for an additional 600,000 people through to 2041.

AMOl08.2017 Annual Conference

2 Ministry of Transportation

Traffic congestion has wide ranging impacts:

• It is estimated that the annual cost of congestion in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) in lost economic productivity is $6 billion;

• Commuters are sitting down for longer periods of time when travelling to work and getting home, which can have negative health and quality of life impacts;

• It will take longer and potentially cost more for businesses to distribute and receive products, which may affect their competitiveness; and

• Vehicles are spending more time on the road which can contribute to an increased amount of greenhouse gases being emitted into the environment.

Peel’s rapid population growth and robust goods movement sector are key factors as to why Region of Peel Council has prioritized improving goods movement over the past several years. It is also why Peel is supportive of government efforts to improve and expand passenger and freight rail capacity. Moving forward, the Region is developing plans that build on Peel’s expertise in goods movement while continuing to create an environmentally friendly community that promotes a high quality of life for every resident.

Long Range Transportation PlanningAs per the updated provincial Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the Region’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP) update will include strategies to:

• Meet the transportation needs of residents and businesses through to 2041; and

• Construct and maintain transportation infrastructure that is aligned with provincial priorities including reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing road safety.

While planning out to 2041 is a step in the right direction, the Region’s rapid growth requires certainty around population and employment projection beyond this time frame. A longer planning horizon will:

• Enable high growth municipalities to proactively and strategically allocate infrastructure; and

• Be more effective in achieving long-term provincial and Region of Peel objectives such as shifting behaviour from single-occupant vehicles to more sustainable transportation modes.

Peel also looks forward to the release of the province’s Greater Golden Horseshoe Transportation Plan in 2018 and would like for it to include a long-term sustainable transportation plan for Southern Ontario highways. This would enable high growth municipalities like Peel to allocate resources and plan for the long-term.

AMOl08.2017 Annual Conference

3 Ministry of Transportation

The Region of Peel recommends that the Ontario government:

Publish a long-range sustainable transportation plan for Southern Ontario Highways that meets or exceeds the planning horizon of the Places to Grow legislation.

The Region of Peel recommends that the Ontario government:

Complete the GTA West Corridor environmental assessment and select a preferred route alternative so that the Region of Peel can move forward with its comprehensive planning in those areas impacted by the GTA West study area.

Increasing Capacity

Peel recognizes that widening roads alone will not be sufficient to accommodate future growth and transportation needs. As such, one action item included in the Region’s new Goods Movement Strategic Plan 2017-2021 (the Plan) is designed to optimize the use of existing infrastructure assets by working with industry partners to increase the amount of deliveries made during off peak hours.

While the Plan includes several action items to help increase efficiency of the existing transportation network, meeting the transportation demands of Peel’s population growth and goods movement sector requires additional road and highway capacity.

A key initiative that would support Peel’s long-term transportation objectives is the completion of the GTA West Corridor environmental assessment along with a commitment to implement its recommendations.

The GTA West Corridor represents an opportunity to:

• Include alternative transportation modes (e.g. cycling infrastructure and transit) that may reduce the use of single-occupancy vehicles and greenhouse gas emissions;

• Complete long-range transportation and land-use planning in Brampton and Caledon;

• Complete an integrated highway network by connecting to Highway 410 and Highway 427;

• Facilitate the flow of goods and people on corridors that are already at capacity (e.g. Highway 401); and

• Divert traffic from Regional roads that should be accommodated on a provincial highway.

Peel will continue to work collaboratively with the province to ensure the development of a safe, reliable and connected multi-modal transportation plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.