Connecting the Southwest

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Friday, 17 January 2020 11:23

The Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney was in London this morning to unveil the first draft of a plan for a transportation system connecting Southwestern Ontario.

OXFORD COUNTY - The Province of Ontario has released a first draft on their plan for a transportation system connecting Southwestern Ontario.

Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney says the their goal is to build a better transportation system that will connect individuals, families and businesses in southwestern Ontario.

"People in southwestern Ontario deserve access to a safe and reliable transportation network that gets them to where they need to go. Our plan for southwestern Ontario includes real, practical transportation improvements that will connect our cities, towns, villages and hamlets by improving our roads and highways, improving accessibility, and ensuring bus, rail and local transit services are as seamless as possible."

The plan is called Connecting the Southwest and it includes 40 advancements and strategies, including options to improve existing rail corridors and private sector partnerships to optimize passenger and freight rail. Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks and MPP for Middlesex- Elgin- London Jeff Yurek says it also includes improvements to southwestern Ontario's highway network and intercommunity bus services.

"People in southwestern Ontario deserve better transportation that gives them safe and reliable access to jobs, their family and friends and the region's many tourist destinations. Our government will continue to put forward smart solutions that respect the value of southwestern Ontario to our province, to our economy and to our quality of life."

The CAO for Oxford County Peter Crockett has issued a statement saying the County supports the transportation system connecting Southwestern Ontario.

"Oxford County applauds the Government of Ontario's release of a First Regional Transportation Plan for southwestern Ontario. This follows years of advocacy by Oxford County for a regional transportation strategy for our area, up to and including the SouthwestLynx proposal as a means of connecting people through a system of high-performance rail and intercommunity busing routes. Moving forward, we look forward to working as a partner with the provincial government to ensure the needs of Oxford County and our region are fully considered."

Oxford County residents are encouraged to make their needs known through the community engagement process for the First Regional Transportation Plan. You can find a link to take part in the Government of Ontario online survey at www.oxfordcounty.ca.

MPP for Oxford County Ernie Hardeman was also present for today's announcement. The province will start consulting the public to gather feedback and explore strategies before implementing actions in the plan. You can participate by completing an online survey until March 17,2020. President of the Ontario Trucking Association Stephen Laskowski says that once again, the Ford Government has shown strong support for our sector.

"The draft Southwestern Plan contains many items to improve the efficiency of our industry, the safety of the motoring public and commercial drivers while bringing needed changes to commercial vehicle highway clearance. Our industry, and by extension, the Province of Ontario will be more competitive through the execution of this effort."

In southwestern Ontario, new routes funded by Ontario’s Community Transportation Grant program, in combination with existing service, will increase the number of municipalities with access to intercommunity bus service by 58 per cent.

As part of the plan, the province will establish a task force with municipalities and Indigenous communities that will look at better integrating rail, bus and local public transit across southwestern Ontario to provide people with a seamless travel experience.

You can see the draft plan online here.

You can participate in the online survey here.