Nll-l Ihe Region of Peel is theproud recipient of the National Quality Institute Order of IfRegion of Peel Excellence, Quality; theNational Quality Institute Canada Award of Excellence Gold Award, Wotting fe/i i/eu Healthy Workplace; anda 2008 IPAC/Dcloittc Public Sector Leadership ColdAward. R£CR»Y£D Ci.&'rlfOS f.ip.PT. APK I 0 2015 April 24, 2015 Resolution Number 2015-268 Mr. Peter Fay HEtf.KO.: RLE MC: City Clerk City of Brampton Planning and Infrastructure 2 Wellington Street West Services Committee Brampton, ON L6Y 4R2 Dear Mr. Fay: Subject: Ministry of Transportation Southern Highways Program 2014-2018 I am writing to advise that Regional Council approved the following resolution at its meeting held on Thursday, April 16, 2015: Resolution 2015-268 That the comments outlined in the report of the Commissioner of Public Works titled 'Ministry of Transportation Southern Highways Program 2014-2018* be endorsed; And further, that the Ministry of Transportation be requested to advance the planning, design and construction of highway improvements in and surrounding Peel Region listed in the "Planning for the Future Beyond 2018" section of the Southern Highways Program 2014-2018 to within the next five years, including Highways 401, 410, 427, Queen Elizabeth Way, Simcoe Area, GTA West Corridor and Niagara to GTA Corridor; And further, that the Ministry of Transportation be requested to plan for a further extension of Highway 427 to Highway 9; And further, that the Ministry of Transportation be requested to publish a long range sustainable transportation plan for Southern Ontario highways; And further, that a copy of the subject report be forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation, Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, the Regions of York and Halton, the Cities of Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto and Vaughan, and the Town of Caledon, for information. Corporate Services Office of the Regional Clerk 10 Peel Centre Dr., Brampton, ON L6T4B9 Tel: 905-791-7800 www.peelregion.ca U\-l A copy of the subject report is provided for your information. Sincerely, 3 Stephanie Junius Legislative Specialist SJ:rn cc: Damian Albanese, Director, Transportation, Public Works, Region of Peel end. Also Sent to: Steve Del Duca, Minister of Transportation Scott Pegg, Director (Acting), Inter-Governmental Policy Branch, Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure Denis Kelly, Regional Clerk, York Region Karyn Bennett, Regional Clerk, Halton Region Crystal Greer, City Clerk, City of Mississauga Ulli S. Watkiss, City Clerk, City of Toronto Jeffrey A. Abrams, City Clerk, City of Vaughan Carey deGorter, Clerk, Town of Caledon Tija Dirks, Director, Transportation Planning Branch, Ministry of Transportation Jason White, Acting Manager, Central Region Engineering Office, Ministry of Transportation Corporate Services Office of the Regional Clerk 10 Peel Centre Dr., Brampton, ON L6T 4B9 Tel: 905-791 -7800 www.peelregion.ca WRegion cf Peel „ . REP0RT * tfttftiu hk tfOn Meeting Date: 20115-04-16 ^ 7 Regional Council DATE: April 8, 2015 REPORT TITLE: MINISTRY OF TRANSPORTATION SOUTHERN HIGHWAYS PROGRAM 2014-2018 FROM: Dan Labrecque, Commissioner of Public Works RECOMMENDATION That the comments outlined in the report of the Commissioner of Public Works titled 'Ministry of Transportation Southern Highways Program 2014-2018' be endorsed and forwarded to the Ministry of Transportation as such; And further, that the Ministry of Transportation be requested to advance the planning, design and construction of highway improvements in and surrounding Peel Region listed in the "Planning for the Future Beyond 2018" section of the Southern Highways Program 2014-2018 to within the next five years, including Highways 401, 410, 427, Queen Elizabeth Way, Simcoe Area, GTAWest Corridor and Niagara to GTACorridor; And further, that the Ministry of Transportation be requested to plan for a further extension of Highway 427 to Highway 9; And further, that the Ministry of Transportation be requested to publish a long range sustainable transportation plan for Southern Ontario highways; And further, that a copy of the subject report be forwarded to the Ministry of Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, the Regions of York and Halton, the Cities of Brampton, Mississauga, Toronto and Vaughan, and the Town of Caledon, for information. REPORT HIGHLIGHTS • On March 6, 2015, the Ontario Mnistry of Transportation (MTO) published the Southern Highways Program (SHP) which outlines the highway improvements plan in Southern Ontario from 2014 to 2018, and beyond. • The SHP contains 107 kilometers of new highway construction (including 10 new bridges) and 578 centerline kilometers of rehabilitation projects (including 142 bridge rehabilitations) within the next five years. Projects include widening of Highway 401, and the expansion of Highway 401 from the Highway 401/403/410 interchange to Credit River Bridge to include High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes is also underway. April 8, 2015 rOI-4' MTO SHP 2014-2018 • The SHP also provides a list of projects that are beyond 2018, including extension of Highway 427, and further widening of Highways 401 and 410. • Within Peel, the MTO has invested $552 million on highway infrastructure improvement projects between 2003 and 2014. The MTO must continue to invest and advance critical projects within the next five year cycle in order to maximize their return-on-investment. • MTO is requested to expedite the planning and construction of the highways in Peel to keep pace with anticipated traffic demand due to the development of residential and employment lands. • The GTA West Project Team provided an update on the GTA West Transportation Corridor Route Planning and Environmental Study, Stage 2 at the March 26, 2015 Regional Council meeting. Council requested the Commissioner of Public Works to work with Mayor Thompson to host a meeting with staff from the Region, area municipalities and community representatives to discuss issues related to the transportation corridor affecting the Town of Caledon. Council also approved Resolution 2015-164 that stated the Region of Peel recognizes and respects the extended Environmental Assessment and consultation process for this complex project, but encourages the province and the project team to expedite the determination of preferred route alternatives, so that the Region can move forward with its comprehensive planning in those areas impacted by the GTA-W study area. • The MTO released the final Transportation Development Strategy (TDS) for the Niagara to GTA Corridor Planning and Environmental Assessment Study, Phase 1 in 2013. The TDS recommends highway expansions in Halton, Hamilton and Niagara regions, and identifies the need for a new transportation corridor connecting Highway 406/140 to the QEW. The MTO has not yet initiated Phase 2. However, MTO staff is currently working with Niagara Region as they develop some corridor protection guidelines for their Official Plan, which will help to protect the corridor for the new highway recommended in the southern tier. DISCUSSION 1. Background On March 6, 2015, MTO released the latest SHP for the period between 2014 and 2018, and a general program for beyond 2018. Since 2006, MTO has released its annual SHP, which is a five-year highway improvement plan for construction widening (expansion), and rehabilitation of provincial highways and bridges in Southern Ontario. Each year, the Ministry plans for and re-examines its highway program and project priorities across Ontario. The SHP for 2014-2018 contains 107 kilometers of new highway construction (including 10 new bridges) and 578 centerline kilometers of rehabilitation projects (including 142 bridge rehabilitations). The SHP notes that in 2014/2015, the Ontario government will be investing $2.5 billion to repair and expand provincial highways and bridges, $1.95 billion of which is in Southern Ontario, creating or sustaining approximately 19,500 direct and indirect jobs. The SHP report is available online at: http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english/highwav-bridges/pdfs/southern-highwavs-program-2014­ 2018.pdf 2­ April 8, 2015 ^ MTO SHP 2014-2018 Peel Region faces unique growth pressures within the Province of Ontario. Over recent decades, Peel Region has had the highest population growth among all Greater Toronto Area regions; regions that are themselves sources of strong growth. Peel Region is also home to the greatest concentration of businesses engaged in the movement of goods. These two pressures have led to increased congestion on Peel transportation routes. According to a study commissioned by Metrolinx in 2006, the total cost of congestion in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area is over $6 billion per year ($3.3 billion in commuter costs and $2.7 billion in costs to the economy) and is expected to reach $15 billion by 2031. The value of commodities through goods movement within Peel is $1.5 billion/day, and that equates to 20.5% of the Ontario GDP, 8.4% of the Canadian GDP and 18% of Ontario's $96 billion output. Delays in implementing new infrastructure projects have adverse economic implications for both the private and public sectors. Peel Region is investing $1.3 billion in transportation infrastructure over the next ten years to support the ambitious infrastructure plan in Ontario's Places to Grow document, and to maintain the roads and bridges in a state of good repair. The Province's investment for highway improvement complements Peel's investment on Regional road improvements, supporting a good transportation system by the updating of the Long Range Transportation Plan, improving the efficiency of goods movement in Peel (highway improvements that are critical for truck movement) and influencing others levels of government to ensure the needs for the Peel community are considered and reflected in policy decisions of upper tier governments. It is important that Peel's interests are protected in the SHP. Within Peel, the MTO has invested $552 million on highway infrastructure improvement projects between 2003 and 2014. The MTO must continue to invest and advance critical projects within the next five year cycle in order to maximize their return-on­ investment.