Providing an efficient transportation system is as important to our economy as it is to our environment. More than $1.2 trillion worth of goods are carried on Ontario’s highways every year. Municipal roads and bridges are critical to Ontario’s economy and quality of life and they are a key municipal responsibility.
The movement of people, goods and services through Brampton and the GTA is severely impacted by the gridlock on its roads and highways.
Transportation Planning
Our roads and highways do not end at the city’s borders. The transportation network spans across the GTA and beyond. While the Gas Tax provides some on-going infrastructure funding and recent federal and provincial one time funding has been appreciated, a coordinated plan with long-term funding is needed to support a GTA-wide transportation network.
Brampton needs senior government investment to fully implement an efficient transportation network, in accordance with our Transit and Transportation Master Plan.
What Brampton Needs from the Next Provincial Government:
- Provide a steady stream of sustainable funding for transit and transportation infrastructure that will allow all Ontario municipalities to reach the overall goals of an integrated transportation system.
- Make necessary amendments to the Development Charges Act, 1997, to ensure the costs of growth are paid for by growth.
- Commit to working with the other levels of government to improve our productivity and reduce dridlock by creating a comprehensive transit plan.
Funding Public Transit
The City of Brampton operates local transit to help people get to work, go shopping, and visit their friends and families. Public transit improves quality of life by reducing traffic congestion on local roads and reducing greenhouse gas and other emissions that can damage our environment and air quality.
Brampton has been able to invest in public transit in recent years, thanks to the provincial and federal governments’ Gas Tax funding. For example, our Bus Rapid Transit system Züm was launched in 2010 with $285 M funding from three orders of government. However, further funding will be required for future expansions of Züm.
What Brampton Needs from the Next Provincial Government:
The Provincial Gas Tax funding should be made permanent to ensure that Brampton transit has a dedicated, predictable source of funding available to plan future transit projects and services for the benefit of Brampton businesses, workers and families.