| PROTECTING HIGHWAY CORRIDORS |
| TO SUPPORT ONTARIO'S GROWING ECONOMY |
| Backgrounder |
| Smart Growth in Ontario |
- Ontario's approach to Smart Growth involves managing
growth and
development in existing urban and suburban
communities, allowing the
economy to grow and prosper, while
improving the quality of life and
preserving the environment. |
- Smart Growth seeks to bring better integration and
balance to local
land use planning and development
decisions. It also attempts to ensure
that the planning and building of vital
infrastructure - such as roads
and highways, public transit, and
electricity, water and sewage
treatment services - maximizes efficient
use of existing infrastructure
and is well co-ordinated locally and
regionally. |
| Planning Processes |
- The environmental and needs assessment processes are
mechanisms by
which the government gets input from the
public and interested parties.
The highway planning initiatives announced
today are in various stages
of the transportation planning process. |
- Needs Assessment - The government's approach to
planning is to first
establish need and justification for the
highway project, and to scope
the range of alternatives by carrying out a
detailed Needs Assessment. |
- Environmental Assessment - The environmental
approval process includes
an evaluation of the initiative, range of
alternatives and alternative
methods of carrying out the initiative. The
process provides the
opportunity for public and stakeholder
consultation. Only when
environmental approval is received, the
government begins to assemble
the land needed. |
| Innovative Financing |
- Through SuperBuild, MTO will ensure that the appropriate
transportation
network is in place to meet the needs of
Ontario, at the right time and
place, and at the best value for the
taxpayer. |
- To support Ontario's continued economic growth, the
Government of
Ontario will continue to explore innovative
new approaches to finance,
build and operate highway infrastructure. |
- Timely, cost-effective and efficient highway
initiatives require
innovative public-private partnerships and
financing models, such as
tolling. |
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Backgrounder
Disponible en français
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For further information: Contacts: Bill Parish, Minister's Office, Tel.:
(416) 327-1824, Fax: (416) 327-9188; Bob Nichols, Communications Branch, Tel.:
(416) 327-1158, Fax: (416) 327-2200; Ministry of Transportation web site at
http://www.mto.gov.on.ca/english
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