Detailed Town of Oakville…

Detailed Town of Oakville Comments can be found in the attachment.

For detailed feedback on the broader definition of “provincial transit project”, please refer to comments provided relevant to Schedule 5 of the Metrolinx Act section.

Schedule 5 of the Metrolinx Act:
Comments to the Province: The Town of Oakville supports the delivery of Provincial transit and transit-oriented community projects and has a good working relationship with Metrolinx. There is a mutual benefit when staff can assist with projects as it ensures Metrolinx is making decisions based on the right information, and the projects Metrolinx works on generally supports several Town objectives and provides a benefit to residents.

Based on staff’s experience, the data that Metrolinx is most likely to request (i.e. traffic volumes or population projections) is generally readily available and already is provided to Metrolinx upon request. If the intent of the proposed amendment to the Metrolinx Act, 2006, is to require the municipality to provide or compile extensive or complex documentation with little notice that would be problematic. This may include materials that are sensitive, confidential, or not readily available in a usable format. The legislation should ensure that any requested information is relevant, reasonable, and proportionate to the needs of the specific transit project.

Additionally, responding to such directives could require significant staff time and resources. For municipalities like Oakville that are already working to streamline planning approvals and support housing development, this redirection of staff effort could inadvertently slow down the processing of development applications, undermining the very goal of building housing faster. Planning staff play a critical role in reviewing applications, conducting public consultation, and advancing the housing supply. Pulling staff away from these functions to respond to open-ended data requests will create delays elsewhere in the system.

The Town encourages the Province to work with municipalities early in the planning process to understand what information is available and how to access it. Clear guidelines and support, especially when staff time is needed, would help ensure municipalities can support provincial goals without taking resources away from local priorities.