Town wants work on GTA West Corridor to resume

January 27, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
Municipalities like Caledon have already done a lot of work involving the GTA West Corridor Environmental Assessment (EA), and Town councillors want that work to be completed.
The Planning and Development Committee of council Tuesday passed a motion asking Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca to resume and complete the study immediately. As well, Mayor Allan Thompson will be seeking a meeting with Del Duca to discuss the importance of the GTA West Corridor, and to express the Town’s dismay at the province’s repeated failure to deliver required infrastructure to Caledon and to implement the growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.
The province announced last month that it would be suspending its work on the environmental assessment.
The motion, which was made at committee by Thompson, noted the Corridor was proposed in 2006 as a conceptual goods movement corridor in the growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe. The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) started the EA the following year, and that study has concluded a 400-series highway will be needed there.
The motion stated the Town has incorporated the study into its planning, including the matters involving the Coleraine West employment area in Bolton.
It also stated the town has withheld approved developments in the EA study area at the request of MTO.
Thompson told his colleagues Tuesday that a staff report on this matter is due to go before Peel Regional council today (Thursday), and it contains a request that the study resume immediately.
“The money’s been spent,” he said. “Let’s finish it.”
Thompson likened stopping the study now to taking a college course, then not writing the final exam.
Councillor Annette Groves made an attempt to tack issues involving the Highway 427 extension onto the motion, but Thompson said that should involve a separate motion.
Groves commented that if the Province does not continue work on the Corridor, it will need to come up with other options, possibly including extending the 427 north to Highway 9.