On the surface, a Niagara to GTA corridor environmental assessment study may not seem to have a great impact locally, but then again … it may.
That is why councillors here want to stay in the know – regardless of what happens.
On Jan. 9 council was invited by the project team to attend the upcoming municipal technical group and regulatory agency advisory group meeting on Jan. 29.
Mayor Dennis Lever also noted he’d received a call from the Flamborough Review, Newspaper which was under the impression the project had been dropped.
He noted there were some public meetings happening this February.
Lever said there still seems to be a lot of work going on.
Councillor Susan Fielding said that her impression is that “a lot of the confusion lies in it being called various things at various times.”
She said one has to carefully read the coverage to know if it concerns the same project.
“I’m not totally clear they are always talking about the same thing.”
Lever commented that his further research indicated there are proposals – as part of this – which include connector lanes coming up into Puslinch from the 401.
He saw similarities to the 424.
“I think it would be in all our interests to attend the public information sessions in February.”
Fielding added this is an issue which had not reared its head in a long time.
Lever then wondered if the project had not been reformulated or brought back under a new name.
The Niagara to GTA corridor is intended to explore all modes of transportation to facilitate the efficient interregional movement of people and goods through the Niagara, Hamilton and Halton area.
The project website (www.niagara-gta.com) will be updated early in the new year to include more information on the assessment and evaluation of the highway expansion options.
The website will also be updated with information regarding upcoming consultation events (e.g. Public Information Centres).
The Ministry of Transportation Ontario (MTO) is completing Phase 1 of the Niagara to Greater Toronto Area (GTA) Corridor Planning and Environmental Assessment study to examine all options for meeting Ontario’s long-term transportation needs.
Preferred options
At this time, some of the preferred highway expansion options include:
• Widening existing highways in the Hamilton to Halton area
• Widening the QEW in the Hamilton to St. Catharines area to eight lanes
These options will be explained in more detail at upcoming public information centres to be scheduled during February 2013.
Feedback from these meetings will be used to complete the selection of the preferred highway expansion projects and finalize the Niagara to GTA Corridor Transportation Development Strategy in the spring of 2013.
