Thank you for the…

Thank you for the opportunity to provide comments to the Ministry of Transportation (MTO) in response to the Greater Golden Horseshoe Transportation Plan 2051 (GGHTP) – Discussion Paper.

Niagara Region Transportation staff have been engaged in the Ministry’s public visioning workshops; municipal, Indigenous and industry technical meetings, and a public online survey to offer a Niagara perspective on transportation priorities for immediate action.

We are pleased to present both a general overview of the shortcomings in the document as well as specific recommendations to support trade, the economy, and the overall movement of goods and people in Niagara. If these oversights are not addressed in the final Plan, we will risk having long-term economic impacts resulting from a significant loss of competitiveness for Niagara Region.

Summary of Key Recommendations

1) North-South Escarpment Crossing/Niagara-Hamilton Trade Corridor - Niagara Region is strongly advocating that the Niagara-Hamilton Trade Corridor, particularly the North-South Escarpment Crossing, is included in the GGHTP 2051

2) GGH Goods Movement Master Plan - To help identify the transportation gaps and economic barriers, Niagara Region is requesting the Province work with upper-tier municipalities to develop a GGH Goods Movement Master Plan that may include new and alternative routes to improve transportation network connectivity

3) Increase safety for pedestrian/cyclists travelling across provincial interchanges and improve standards for site access along non-controlled Provincial highways

4) Niagara GO Rail Extension - Requesting the Province to re-affirm existing commitments related to the expansion and enhancement of GO rail and bus service into Niagara Region largely demonstrated by initiating capital funding for on-corridor rail improvements for the Niagara Extension that would enable the next steps of the Region’s approved multi-station capital investment strategy

5) Marine Strategy - Proposing the Provincial government develop a Marine Strategy to support the shipbuilding industry and related sectors in Ontario, while considering the role of the marine sector in Ontario that can advance the broader economy through supply chain opportunities as well as approaches for the sector to increase the competitiveness of other related industries.

General Overview

The GGH Plan is biased toward the interests of highest population and growth centres in the region, resulting in underweighting of concerns for the immediate need of a North-South Escarpment Crossing and a future Niagara-Hamilton escarpment trade corridor. The discussion paper suggests more consultation will be needed for census areas peripheral to the core GTHA, which can provide an opportunity for Niagara Region to further engage with MTO. Moreover, the GGHTP focuses on movement of goods and people within the region, but does not fully consider its relation to other regions, especially with respect to trade in bulk goods and lower value products produced in rural areas of the GGH and neighboring regions.

As a result, economic growth along the Niagara-Hamilton transportation corridor is constrained in favour of densification along the 401, where capacity for further expansion is limited. It is the lack of cost- and time-efficient transportation alternatives that have driven logistics investment to the west of Toronto along the 401, which is not sustainable

Unfortunately, MTO does not appear to consider Niagara to be central to its long-term transportation plans. We want to ensure Niagara Region and the local area municipalities’ concerns are not ignored in order to prevent MTO from defaulting to Toronto and Peel Region transit and transportation priorities.

Niagara Region – a centre for economic development and trade

Niagara’s employment and economic growth

With a current population of just under 500,000, we are in lockstep with provincial growth forecasts of increasing our population by over 200,000 while creating over 81,000 new jobs by 2051. The combination of demographic shifts, population growth, remote work options and housing affordability will drive changes in both personal commutes and in goods distribution throughout the GGH.

Therefore the relationship between the transportation plan with land uses, a key driver for Regional planning decisions, needs to be considered. With the exponential growth to the region, there will be an impact on land use pressures in rural parts of the GGH transportation plan – particularly in areas where Niagara is seeking to expand employment lands. Thus we strongly suggest that the GGHTP be reviewed together with the Growth Plan and economic priorities for the region. To ensure this is reflected in the GGHTP, timely and comprehensive data to support local planning and investment decision making is also needed.

The benefits of Niagara’s strategic location

The Niagara area is home to one of the most economically prosperous trade corridors in the country. Niagara Region has numerous strategic economic benefits that no other area in the Greater Golden Horseshoe possesses including:
o Four 400-series highway
o Five international border crossings into the U.S.
o 2 publically owned airports that can accommodate air freight
o 2 Class 1 railways; and
o The Welland Canal that connects the Great Lakes to the Atlantic Ocean

As such, Niagara is a vital link between Canada and the United States and the flow of goods, services and people across Niagara’s borders is critical to the economic performance of Canada as a whole. Designated a Foreign Trade Zone Point and Economic Gateway combined with Niagara Region’s proximity to various transportation corridors and international markets, the Region is a hotspot for growth and a key conduit for ensuring barrier-free supply chains.

Niagara Region’s Economic Growth Strategy identified four key economic growth opportunities for Niagara Region:
1) Manufacturing
2) Agribusiness
3) Tourism
4) Transportation and Logistics

The growth and competitiveness of all four of these sectors is reliant on a high-quality goods movement network to get products to market and for efficient business operations. In addition, Niagara’s Federal designation as a Foreign Trade Zone Point supports a robust Foreign Direct Investment Strategy for the Niagara Region and will attract new investment while creating much needed employment opportunities in the region.

While Niagara Region continues to explore approaches to better leverage its air and rail freight potential, Niagara Region is implementing effective strategies to improve highway, passenger rail, and marine transportation. Detailed comments on specific sections of the GGHTP are available in Appendix A.

North-South Escarpment Crossing/Niagara-Hamilton Escarpment Trade Corridor and other Highway Improvements

In 2017, Niagara Region Council approved its Transportation Master Plan which identified a number of key transportation initiatives and corridors for Niagara Region. These specific transportation projects are listed in Appendix A. These projects support the longer term transportation needs to 2041, which largely cite capacity constraints on the QEW and a need for improved network redundancy from safety and reliability.

Challenges
Current growth patterns suggest continued pressure on the QEW near Lake Ontario through Niagara Region, which is a critical area of the Greenbelt. There is currently no viable road corridor for transport trucks through the region. As inter-regional trucks continue to travel through densely populated areas with sensitive land uses and abundant pedestrian and cyclist activity, this commercial transportation activity is creating significant safety risks for Niagara communities.

Although regional roads accommodate trucks, the roadways traversing the Niagara Escarpment have operational and safety issues due to steep grades. The high volume of existing inter-regional truck travel, traversing the Niagara Escarpment, between Highway 20 and the QEW has considerable safety risks for communities in the Grimsby and West Lincoln area. In addition, increasing truck volumes through these built-up areas conflict with Downtown area parking, which is impacting operations for local businesses in these communities.

The existing north-south crossings of the Niagara Escarpment have geometric features including steep grades (10%-16% grades) which result in operational and safety constraints for the movement of heavy trucks. Narrow shoulders and sight line issues and other undesirable impacts (noise, vibration, emissions) make these routes undesirable for commercial vehicle use. Consideration of truck restrictions to control the movement of trucks would require higher levels of enforcement on a continual basis and is not a feasible option.

Opportunities
Niagara Region is actively working with the City of Hamilton and the Regions of Halton, Peel, and Waterloo, to advocate for the Niagara to GTA (NGTA) Corridor as a key trade corridor and an alternate route to the QEW. A major corridor, such as the Niagara-Hamilton Trade Corridor, will take considerable time to be approved, for acquisition of the right-of-way and for construction. Also for consideration is the possibility for former Highway 20 (now Regional Road 20) to transition to a Provincial role in providing network redundancy to the QEW, accommodating longer-distance, inter-regional travel and the movement of goods, particularly periods when congestion or other incidents interrupt traffic on the QEW.

In addition, the North-South Escarpment Crossing in Grimsby, as a component of the overall Niagara Trade Corridor network, this particular project is a major priority for Niagara Region and is actively moving forward with this initiative. Currently the Environmental Assessment (EA) terms of reference are in draft and under review by the Division. The Procurement Release is targeted for Q1 2022 followed by awarding the Consulting Assignment and targeting the assignment to commence Q2 / Q3 2022.

Other Highway Improvements

Highway interchanges pose significant safety risks for pedestrians and cyclists given the lack of appropriate active transportation infrastructure to cross the various free-flow highway ramps. Issues are exacerbated with the current approach that pedestrian and cyclist safety at interchanges is solely a municipal responsibility. These safety concerns need to be prioritized through, not only new expansion projects, but also for existing interchanges.

As a facilitator for active transportation and connecting cycling and pedestrian networks, the Province needs to recognize its role in ensuring safety for all road users, particularly that of pedestrians and cyclists crossing freeway interchanges in increasingly urban areas. Niagara Region has two recent examples where these safe connections have been successful – St. Davids Multi-Use Path and the Glendale Diverging Diamond Interchange. It is critical that the Province is providing the funding support to municipalities to retrofit Provincial infrastructure to accommodate active transportation, for which is costly for municipalities. Until MTO regularly works with municipalities to incorporate active transportation, there will remain connectivity issues that will continue to create safety concerns for other modes of travel beyond the automobile.

In addition, to facilitate more efficient movement of goods while addressing potential safety concerns, Niagara Region is recommending that non-controlled Provincial highways be assessed and addressed appropriately given their unique and evolving purpose within urbanizing communities. As part of the discussion paper, the Province must address the need for non-controlled Provincial highways to adopt modern standards where appropriate.

GO Transit Expansion

The expansion of GO transit rail and bus service is a longstanding priority for Niagara Region as it is expected to bring significant transportation, economic, tourism, and social benefits to residents. To advance this initiative, Niagara Region has approved a ‘four station’ strategy for the introduction of rail service, with the establishment or enhancements of stations at Grimsby, Beamsville, St. Catharines, and Niagara Falls. In addition, the Province has committed the introduction of all-day (11 trip) rail service between Union Station (Toronto) and Niagara Falls GO Station, as identified in the 2019 Niagara Falls Rail Service Extension - Initial Business Case from Metrolinx.

Challenges
The Province has established that on-corridor improvements to the Niagara Extension are required to achieve 11-trip all-day service between Union Station (Toronto) and Niagara Falls. However, realizing the benefits associated with the Region’s ‘four station’ multi-station capital investment strategy is reliant on achieving this level of service through ongoing Provincial administrative and financial support. These extensions and improvements are an important component of the overall strategy and objective of providing a fully transit-connected Greater Golden Horseshoe Region.

Opportunities
The GGHTP represents an opportunity for the Ministry of Transportation to re-affirm existing commitments related to the expansion and enhancement of GO rail and bus service into Niagara Region.

Recent discussions have occurred between the Ministry of Transportation and Niagara Region related to the importance of the Province initiating capital funding for on-corridor rail improvements for the Niagara Extension.

The initiation of these funds is necessary to undertake the next steps of the Region’s approved multi-station capital investment strategy, especially related to Grimsby Station.

Marine & Port Expansion

Niagara Region has excellent accessibility to international marine freight movements via Welland Canal, a vital part of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway system, which carries mostly bulk commodities on lake vessels plus direct overseas shipments utilizing medium-sized ocean-going vessels. This is another critical component of Niagara’s international trade infrastructure and is an essential transportation mode for freight such as agricultural products, mined products, processed products (iron, steel, chemical), and miscellaneous products (i.e. animal and forest products), which are major export commodities for Canada.

Challenges
There are no container services on the Great Lakes as most container vessels are too large to fit through the Canal locks. Most overseas containers are transferred between rail and ship in Montreal or Halifax. In addition, Niagara Region is not realizing the full economic potential of the Seaway in Niagara because these assets have not been available. Whether it is taxation, outdated policy, or a shortfall in industry-identified best practices, there are significant factors limiting the marine industry’s ability to compete on a national and international scale. Through effective outreach and consultation with industry leaders, municipalities and port authorities, a successful marine strategy will ensure social acceptability and community involvement.

Opportunities
Niagara Region is proposing the Province develop a separate Ontario Marine Strategy to ensure Ontario continues to build a strong post-pandemic economic recovery, while alleviating the environmental impact of commercial traffic along Ontario’s major transportation corridor.

This Strategy would also consider the development of three Multimodal Industrial Hubs along the Welland canal. Located in Port Colborne, Thorold and Welland, these Hubs will offer development-ready industrial land, along with marine, rail and highway connections. As a network, they offer industrial users a wide range of choices to meet development and transportation needs.

The Hubs are intended to support Niagara lead a sustainable industrial expansion in Ontario, while promoting increased use of marine transportation, and creating a welcoming and sustainable environment for industry.

This major regional industrial and multimodal network can grow trade in a more sustainable way and contribute to Ontario’s quality of life by reducing congestion, supporting key industries and jobs. Other benefits include:
• Developing the Niagara trade corridor
• Grow Seaway cargo volumes
• Attract industry and investment to Niagara and Ontario
• Improve modal balance to reduce traffic congestion on Ontario highways and reduce bottlenecks
• Reduce transportation costs for shippers of cargo
• Improve the carbon profile of Ontario’s goods movement transportation network; and
• Diversify and expand trade capacity for the Ontario economy

Additional background information regarding the North-South Escaprment Crossing/Niagara-Hamilton Escarpment Trade Corridor, GO Transit Expansion, and the Marine & Port Expansion is available in Appendix B.

Conclusion

Without inclusion of Niagara’s key transportation initiatives into the GGHTP 2051, these transportation and economic development opportunities will not be considered as funding priorities for the Province. This will present a significant loss in economic development activities, and in some cases, perpetuating safety risks. Ultimately, a strong need for a major highway infrastructure investment to compensate for the lack of capacity along the major goods movement corridors is critical to the Region.
Should you have any questions regarding the details of this submission, I encourage you to contact the respective Regional staff.

North-South Escarpment Crossing/Niagara-Hamilton Escarpment Trade Corridor
and other Highway Improvements
Carolyn Ryall, Director, Transportation Services
905-980-6000 ext. 3620; carolyn.ryall@niagararegion.ca

GO Transit Expansion
Matt Robinson, Director, GO Implementation Office
905-980-6000 ext. 3198; matt.robinson@niagararegion.ca

Marine & Port Expansion
George Spezza, Director, Economic Development
905-980-6000 ext. 3673; george.spezza@niagararegion.ca

We appreciate the opportunity to provide comments on the Discussion Paper. With the next step in consultations planned with a Ministry-initiated task force, we hope that Niagara Region can continue the dialogue on new strategies to unlocking Ontario’s economic potential through transportation improvements that can support the movement of goods and people across the globe.

Respectfully,
Ron Tripp
Acting Chief Administrative Officer
Niagara Region

Other References / Page No. Niagara Region Strategic Infrastructure Projects
Niagara Region 2017 TMP and
Pages 8-14 of the GGH Transportation Plan In 2017, Niagara Regional Council approved the Transportation Master Plan (TMP), which identified a number of key transportation initiatives and corridors for Niagara Region.

Section 2: “A Vision for Mobility in 2051” does not include key initiatives between Niagara Region and the Province, which means no funding priorities to support these longer-term strategic transportation initiatives. The 2017 TMP identified these initiatives as longer term needs by 2041, citing capacity constraints on the QEW and a need for improved network redundancy from safety and reliability perspectives.

Key transportation corridors for the Niagara Region include the following:

• The North-South Niagara Escarpment Crossing between Red Hill Valley Parkway (City of Hamilton) and Victoria Road (Town of Lincoln)
• Niagara-Hamilton Trade Corridor connecting Niagara Region from Fort Erie to Hamilton
• South Niagara East-West Arterial Road
• Niagara to Greater Toronto Area (NGTA) Corridor connecting Niagara Region to Hamilton, Burlington and other municipalities in the GTHA
• Extension of Highway 406 from East Main Street to NGTA corridor
• Highway 20 Smithville Bypass connecting to Lincoln Alexander Parkway in Hamilton
• Express transit on managed lanes on QEW and/or Highway 406
• The need for a new partial interchange at Highway 405 & Concession 6 Road. The City of Niagara Falls has raised this as well.
• Weaving concerns related to truck traffic and speeds heading southbound on QEW at Highway 405; coming from Glendale interchange.

GGH Study Area Projects / Initiatives

• Although the Discussion Paper referred to the COVID-19 Pandemic, how it has led to re-thinking how we use transportation infrastructure is not clear in the document. Recommendation to add challenges and how they are now being addressed in light of the pandemic, plus new ways of how business may be conducted (such as remote work from home) which will impact transportation facilities and Transit.
• Consider running an activity based post-covid model; accounting for population growth and employment changes in Niagara Region to understand the impacts to the overall transportation network.
• Confirm how post-pandemic work arrangements are being captured or refreshed with the trips/jobs and population in GGH.
• Transit-oriented initiatives within Niagara Region need to be explored and identified.
Section / Page No. of the GGHTP 2051 Detailed Comments
Getting Ahead of Rapid Growth / p. 5/6 p. 5 - Emphasis needs to be made on the ‘significance of hubs for goods and people movement’ as travel for people impacts on businesses particularly for recreation and tourism and connecting trails through the GGH

p. 5 - Refers to Toronto as the focal point with growth surrounding it, which puts Niagara at a disadvantage as it would be questionable that it surrounds Toronto. Recommend municipalities be referenced as part of the GGH rather than linking them to Toronto to ensure Niagara is considered for “right-sized options”

p. 6 - A legend is needed in the figure. Concentration of people and jobs need to be distinguished in the graph

A Vision for Mobility in 2051/ p. 8-11 p. 8 - clarify what is meant by cycling paths i.e., segregated bike lanes or other facilities protected from vehicles.

p.8 – include considerations of Vision Zero or specific technology related to Automated Speed Enforcement (vision of a transportation system that aims for Vision Zero)
A Vision for Mobility in 2051 / Getting People Moving on a Connected Transit System / p.9/10 p. 9 - recognize other elements that align active travel with transit e.g. secure long term and short term bike parking facilities. It is great that they recognized the need to consider "the last mile" or "connected communities"

p. 10 - The recommended 3 conceptual Transit Hubs in Map 1 focused on the circulation of transit trips in the Toronto area with no consideration to other parts of the region and centralized population density.

A Vision for Mobility in 2051 / Efficiently Moving Goods Across the Region / p.13 p. 13 - There is a lack of parallel truck routes or alternative modes for movement of freight along QEW as identified with the Niagara-Hamilton Trade Corridor.

A Vision for Mobility in 2051 / Improve Transit Connectivity / p.17 p. 17 - Under Action Plans: Modify the Municipal Act to include walking and cycling facilities from transit hubs and include the construction and operation responsibility of Regional Municipalities; especially for off-road cycle tracks separated to allow for the expansion of a safer Active Transportation Network.

p. 17 - The GGHTP indicates the Niagara extension as an ‘existing/committee’ improvement on Map 1 (page 10).
• However it is not explicitly referenced in the preceding discussion of existing planned initiatives (page 9) or as sample actions under ‘Goal 1: Improve Transit Connectivity’ (Page 17)

p. 17 - Consideration should be given to referencing the planned expansion and enhancement of rail corridors outside of the immediate Toronto area, such as those for Niagara, Kitchener, and Bowmanville
• This is not made clear as it’s only referring to increasing service – not infrastructure/rail – in Kitchener

p. 17 – Recommend identifying bike share options and segregated bike lanes as well as key locations such as transit hubs to make it easier for people to cycle to transit stations

A Vision for Mobility in 2051 / Relieve Congestion / p.18/19 p. 18 – Prioritize C - Provide Alternative Ways to Travel and D - Reduce the Need for Travel, which will help save the life of infrastructure, reduce emissions, and offer improved health and well-being

p. 19 - Another action plan could be the introduction of a flexible working hour system to expand the peak hour periods to reduce traffic congestion.
A Vision for Mobility in 2051 / Give Users More Choice / p.20/21 p. 20 - Mobility as a Service MaaS, once introduced, should be available to the municipalities of the GGH and MTO.

p. 21 - Niagara Region is interested in working with Metrolinx to connect existing and planned Niagara cycling routes, infrastructure and amenities with the Province-wide Cycling Network.
• Include separated cycling facilities from GGH to Niagara that may incorporate GO service along the network
• The Province needs to recognize its role in ensuring safety for all road users, particularly that of pedestrians and cyclists crossing freeway interchanges in increasingly urban areas.
• It is recommended that the Province work with upper-tier municipalities to understand their challenges in expanding active transportation and micro-mobility networks.

A Vision for Mobility in 2051 / Keep Goods Moving / p.23 p. 23 - Goods Movement: Work with upper-tier municipalities to introduce GGH Goods Movement Master Plan that may include new and alternative routes to enhance the road network capacity to accommodate Active Transportation and micro mobility networks.

p. 23 - Off-Peak Delivery is recommended to ensure a safer road network.

p. 23 - Non-controlled Provincial highways need to be looked at and treated appropriately given their unique and evolving purpose within urbanizing communities. The discussion paper should address the need for non-controlled Provincial highways to adopt modern standards where appropriate.

A Vision for Mobility in 2051 / Safe and Inclusive / p.25 p. 25 - Niagara Region is interested in partnering with Metrolinx to enhance safety measures for all road users at “at-grade” road crossings.

A Vision for Mobility in 2051 / Future Ready / p.27 p. 27 – Automated vehicles is another area requiring policy and best practice guidelines to ensure that we are prepared for them as part of our transportation system so they enhance transit options and active transportation.
• The Niagara Falls tourist area has a high potential to be the pilot project for automated shuttle transit

p. 27 - Recommended that the government support the municipalities by allocating funds to establish electric vehicle charging hubs in downtown areas or Strategic Growth Areas to encourage Climate Change mitigation and adaptation.
• It will be good to identify strategies for exploring technological measures of higher pollution vehicles and potential replacement with new low emission vehicles.

A Vision for Mobility in 2051 / Muskoka, Haliburton and Connections Beyond the GGH/ p.29 • p. 29 - There was no focus on the key role Niagara Region plays with tourism as a destination spot in Ontario. Similar to Muskoka, some of the same actions planned and underway should be looked at for Niagara.
• The improvement of connection between tourist destinations will encourage tourists to visit these sites. For example, it may be more efficient to provide a route between Niagara Region and the District of Muskoka by air transport to Lake Simcoe, Parry Sound, and Durham areas.