The Ontario Provincial Government Economic Statement has reintroduced YET AGAIN the proposal for Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.
This wasteful expenditure on highways will not reduce traffic congestion or facilitate traffic movement on 400 series highways. The underutilized 407 toll highway was taxpayer-funded and subsequently sold. This underutilized Highway 407 runs east-west only a few km north of the 401.
Act now and register your displeasure via this link.
The Details
Highway 413 construction has been paused for many months but has emerged again in this week’s Ontario Government Fall Economic Statement along with the Bradford Bypass (Highway 404 Extension Link). Both proposed highways have had a long history of stop/go.
The Highway 413 plan is to construct an east/west 59 km arc connecting Hwy 401 from Halton through Caledon and Peel to Hwy 400 in Vaughan just south of King Side Road. Not only will it have a negative impact on protected lands, but it is also very likely to cost taxpayers billions for construction. It cuts through roughly 2000 acres of protected lands and some of Ontario’s most productive farmlands. And could mean paving over 2000 hectares. It cuts through wetlands and watersheds that are an important source of drinking water. It has the potential to pave over 1000 acres of Greenbelt.
The Bradford Bypass is intended to run east-west through York Region and Simcoe County as a 16 km, 400-404 link in the northern Greater Toronto area. The Bradford Bypass, exempted from the requirements of environmental assessment, also poses a significant environmental threat to Holland River, cuts through 27 waterways, roughly 27 acres of sensitive wetlands, and the Holland Marsh, a region of the protected Greenbelt lands, and a substantial producer of Ontario’s vegetables. To protect an MPP’s family golf course, the proposed Bypass also cuts through a forested area and homes nestled in it. The planned major junctions are Highway 400 on the west near Bradford, County Road 4 (Yonge Street), and Highway 404 on the east near Keswick.
The public outcry worked to pause the Highway 413 project. Now it is essential to work together to continue the pressure to stop Highway 413 and search for viable travel alternatives that alleviate 400 series highway congestion but do not have the profoundly negative potential environmental impacts of the proposed Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. Many communities, municipalities, regions, environmental and scientific groups have publicly opposed the construction of Highway 413. Many from local communities affected by the Bradford Bypass also question the need for and value of this bypass as well as being concerned about environmental impact to waterways, wetlands, and the produce growing area of the Holland Marsh. The potential environmental damage to Lake Simcoe has also been identified as a major concern.
As we all know, there is an existing tax-payer built east/west toll road, the 407, that was sold to private investors by the then provincial government in 1999. The new 59 km Highway 413, would be about 15 km North of the 407. For anyone who has driven on Highway 407, it is clearly under-utilized and the toll adds up quickly. It is unclear how a 59 km highway that links from the west (Caledon) to Highway 400 just south of King Side Road in Vaughan will alleviate the heavy traffic pressure on Highway 401 or on Highway 400 north from Highway 401 to just north of Barrie.
Certainly, other solutions can be explored that link communities and promise to reduce the intense traffic pressure east/west on the 401 and 400 north/south.
Regarding Highway 413, to alleviate Highway 401 traffic congestion, a solution might be found in spending the money to purchase back Highway 407 toll road so it is a genuine and cost-effective alternative to the 401.
World Highways and Stop the 413 suggested more planning and investment for public transit including:
- GO regional express rail on Kitchener and Milton corridors;
- a new GO rail corridor to Bolton; and,
- increased bus rapid transit or light rail for towns of Vaughan, Brampton, and Mississauga.
- intermodal rail/truck transport to move goods by rail across GTA in containers
- add a dedicated truck lane to the underused 407 toll road
If either proposed highway is sold and turned into a toll road, it will most likely suffer a similar underutilization fate as Highway 407.
The Background
The growth plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, “Planning for Health, Prosperity, and Growth in the Greater Golden Horseshoe, 2015-2041”, led by David Crombie, included recommendations in support of growth but also protection of valuable water sources, wetlands, farmlands, Greenbelt, species at risk. The Greenbelt has over 800,000 hectares of protected lands including the Oak Ridges Moraine and Niagara Escarpment. (See KPRI article, The Big Picture – Greater Golden Horseshoe)
The Plan addressed issues of responsible growth focussed on,
investing in transit and infrastructure
supporting agriculture investments and viability
growing the Greenbelt
protecting the region's environment and natural heritage
creating jobs
responding to climate change
In Spring 2018, the then Ontario Government announced an expanded and strengthened Greenbelt Council, chaired by David Crombie, to ensure growth is sustainable, creating vibrant communities while protecting regions’ vital natural heritage systems, environment, and farmlands. However, in Spring 2020, Schedule 6 in the Omnibus Ontario Budget Bill 229, 2020, changes were embodied that would go against the Growth Plans for the Greater Golden Horseshoe and enable Ministerial Zoning Orders to expand, develop and increase the size of construction projects without the necessary assessments of impacts on environmentally sensitive protected lands, Greenbelts, water conservation areas, etc.
A consequence of Schedule 6 was to limit the mandate of local conservation authorities to assess environmental impacts, therefore creating unfettered access to environmentally sensitive, protected lands using Ministerial Zoning Orders (see KPRI article, Curtail the Misuse of Minister’s Zoning Orders).
Without success, Chair David Crombie and the members of the Ontario Greenbelt Council tried to persuade the provincial government to withdraw Schedule 6 from the Budget Bill. The Ontario Greenbelt Council was established to ensure sustainable growth while providing protection to the region’s environmentally sensitive areas, and providing advice on transit, growth, the agricultural sector, and environmental protection. As reported in the Toronto Star on December 5, 2020, David Crombie, Chair, resigned from the Ontario Greenbelt Council, followed by 6 members who resigned. (Reported on December 6, 2020, by the CBC). Members represented diverse interests, e.g. scientists, planners, developers.
In its Fall Economic Statement, this week, the PC Ontario Government highlighted highways and infrastructure with a focus on building Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass in spite of potential negative environmental impact and questionable traffic relief outcomes. Let’s look for alternatives that work for communities, the environment, and transportation challenges.
You can speak up about this over the next two minutes right here.
Sources:
Kingsway Park Ratepayers Inc. (KPRI), kingswayparkratepayers.com
Stop 413
https://environmentaldefence.ca
Urban Neighbourhoods
https://urban neighbourhood.ca
The Community Climate Council
https://www.communityclimatecouncil.org
Ontario Government News Release, April 16, 2018, Municipal Affairs and Housing
Re Expanded Greenbelt Council, chaired by David Crombie
The Toronto Star
https://www.the star.com
December 5, 2020
CBC
www.CBC.ca
December 6, 2020
Worldhighways.com
National observer.com
EnvironmentJournal.ca
Toronto Star, October 31, 2021, Torstar/National Observer Investigation