Please find attached…

Please find attached detailed comments from the Town of Oakville.

The proposed amendment to the Building Transit Faster Act could bring benefits to Oakville. It could help speed up the approval process for new transit projects, which means better and faster connections throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. This could reduce commute times, lower traffic congestion, and encourage more people to use public transit. In the long term, it could also help cut greenhouse gas emissions and support Oakville’s economic growth by attracting businesses.

The amendment may diminish the Town’s ability to review and evaluate how projects are planned and built in the local context, giving more authority to the Province and Metrolinx. Fast-tracked construction could lead to increased noise levels, tree removals, and disruptions in residential areas. It could also put extra pressure on local roads and services. Reduced time for public consultation may limit residents' ability to provide meaningful input on how these projects affect their neighbourhoods.

The changes in Bill 17 identified for Schedule 5 – Metrolinx Act, 2006 also notes that: “The Minister may issue directives in writing directing a municipality or its municipal agencies to provide the Minister or the Corporation with information and data, as well as copies of any contracts, records, reports, surveys, plans and any other document that, in the Minister’s opinion, may be required to support the development of a provincial transit project or transit oriented community project, and the municipality or its municipal agencies shall comply with the directive within the time specified by the Minister”. Should the Minister exercise the ability to direct the Town for information, additional Town staff resources may be required to fulfill the request by the Minister, pending the scale of the project in question.