ORBA OPINION: - GTA WEST CORRIDOR MUST BE BUILT

The GTA West Corridor must be built today to meet the growth challenges of tomorrow

Highway systems connect large cities and rural communities across the GTA. Moving people and goods safely, efficiently and sustainably across Ontario is vital to our economy. The GTA West Corridor and Highway 413 will help with traffic congestion, supply additional employment opportunities, and promote expansion and growth.

We cannot look at Highway 413 as just another highway. It will be part of the GTA West Corridor. The transitway would be a separate corridor running alongside the highway dedicated exclusively for public transit, such as buses or light rail transit. This new highway and transit corridor could help Ontario promote and adopt new state-of-the-art technologies. The corridor would be designed with dedicated areas for electric vehicle charging stations to help encourage more people to choose cleaner transportation options.

Highway 413 would extend from Highway 400, between King Road and Kirby Road, to the 401-407 ETR interchange near Mississauga, Milton and Halton Hills.

Infrastructure such as Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass needs to be built as part of a multi-modal strategy to keep Ontario moving, including both highway infrastructure and new transit.

It is no secret that the population of the GTA is growing, and growing fast. In 2020, the population of the GTA grew to 7.1 million people. According to the Ontario Ministry of Finance, in 2045, just under 25 years from now, the region’s population is expected to hit 9.9 million.

Congestion in the GTA will be a real issue moving forward. Congestion already costs the GTA $11 billion per year in lost productivity, adds to the cost of goods and creates carbon emissions. Ontario needs new infrastructure to help move people and goods or the region will quickly become overwhelmed. A new 400-series highway and transitway would significantly reduce travel times for drivers in Peel, York and Halton regions. The GTA West Corridor will be a catalyst to help Ontario’s economy, it will reduce travel time for GTA residents and will enhance quality of life. We must begin to build the necessary infrastructure today so we can be ready to meet the generational growth challenges of tomorrow.