Category Archives for "Latest News"

Transportation Infrastructure: Virginia Invests while Ontario spends

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus , Latest News

Transport Action Ontario (TAO) remains deeply concerned about the direction of transportation congestion relief policies in Ontario. While the province is investing heavily in transit in Greater Toronto, the solution that elected officials promote and brag about is to spend billions on new highway infrastructure, and millions more on policies to lower costs for drivers – such as toll eliminations and gas tax reductions.

The State of Virginia is facing a similar congestion problem, and has chosen to invest in passenger rail rather than more highways and more lanes, for a variety of good reasons. TAO board member Ken Westcar attended a recent webinar from the Virginia Passenger Rail Authority, and has written an article contrasting Virginia and Ontario.

Ken’s article is attached.

Ontario Policy Brief – Passenger Rail in Southern Ontario

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus , Latest News

With the upcoming Ontario election, February 27, 2025, Transport Action Ontario has prepared a policy brief on increasing investment in intercity passenger rail in southern Ontario, as extracted from Transport Action Canada’s 2024 report “Beyond HFR: Advancing Passenger Rail Across Canada”.

The one-page brief has been sent to all political parties with members in the Ontario legislature. The brief describes the idea and the ultra-low costs involved.

The brief can be seen below.

Truck Toll Discount on Highway 407 – Feasibility Study

By Transport Action Ontario | Highways and Bridges , Latest News

Highway 413, a proposed new expressway northwest of Toronto, continues to be a very controversial project with residents. Transport Action Ontario (TAO) has been actively proposing an alternative solution – more higher order transit to move people, and a toll discount for trucks to use the existing toll Highway 407. Our studies, confirmed by others, have shown that the truck toll discount is more cost-effective than building Highway 413.

There is growing interest in utilizing Highway 407, and Ontario Premier Ford has committed to a feasibility study on a buyback of the 407 concession agreement. A motion to support the provincial study, and to include a one year pilot on a truck toll discount, was brought before the City of Vaughan Council on December 3, 2024. TAO made a deputation in support of this study and also urged a prompt one-year pilot study on a truck toll discount in a dedicated truck lane on Highway 407.

The motion was passed at Vaughan Council on December 17, 2024. Our deputation is shown below.

Support for Detroit-Windsor Passenger Rail Link

By Transport Action Ontario | Intercity Rail and Bus , Latest News

Transport Action Canada and Transport Action Ontario have jointly issued a letter of support to the Federal government for a proposed Amtrak – VIA Rail passenger rail connection between Detroit and Windsor. The proposal involves station and signal upgrades in Detroit, use of the CPKC tunnel under the Detroit River, upgraded track on the Essex Terminal Railway (ETR), a new connection between ETR and VIA tracks and upgrades at Windsor Station, including a joint CBSA/CBP border clearing facility.

We are hopeful that the upcoming federal budget will include funding for the Windsor portion of the project, estimated to cost about $40 million.

Our letter can be viewed below.

Photo: Amtrak Midwest Siemens Venture cars pictured at Joliet by “Sea Cow” via Wikimedia commons

Stop the 413 – Briefing to MPs

By Transport Action Ontario | Highways and Bridges , Latest News

Transport Action Ontario is a core member of the “Stop the 413 Now” alliance of community groups and individuals based in York Region. In August, 2024, we completed an updated “Briefing to MPs” that has been circulated and discussed with numerous federal elected officials.

We are asking the Federal Government to:

• Protect the environment using tools in its jurisdiction, including redesignation under the recently revised Impact Assessment Act, and carefully scrutinizing permits under the Species at Risk Act, Fisheries Act and Migratory Birds Act.
• Support better use of Highway 407 for trucks as an investment in supply chain competitiveness and to support smart growth principles.

The briefing can be viewed below.