Connecting the East: A Draft Transportation Plan for Eastern Ontario

ERO number
019-5259
Notice type
Policy
Posted by
Ministry of Transportation
Notice stage
Decision
Decision posted
Comment period
April 21, 2022 - August 19, 2022 (120 days) Closed
Last updated

This consultation was open from:
April 21, 2022
to August 19, 2022

Decision summary

This proposal notice invited public comments on Connecting the East: A draft transportation plan for eastern Ontario. The draft plan is a living document and comments received have and will continue to guide our actions and inform future updates to the plan.

Decision details

In conjunction with this policy proposal notice, Ontario released Connecting the East: A draft transportation plan for eastern Ontario (Connecting the East). A decision was made on January 18, 2024 to close this proposal and update the public on its status.

Connecting the East outlines initiatives for transportation in the region and is organized into five goals and 56 actions. The five goals are: 

  • ​Connecting people and places 
  • ​Supporting a competitive and open for business environment
  • ​Providing more choice and convenience 
  • ​Improving safety and inclusion
  • ​Preparing for the future 

The draft plan is a living document intended to be updated over time as opportunities for improvement are identified and as conditions change. To update and implement the actions in the draft plan, the Ontario government will continue to work with the public, Indigenous communities and organizations, different levels of government, and stakeholders, as well as consider the comments received in response to the policy proposal notice.

Please note that potential environmental impacts from any published plan update will be considered as part of a corresponding Proposal Notice on the Environmental Registry.

Comments received

Through the registry

8

By email

2

By mail

0
View comments submitted through the registry

Effects of consultation

MTO reviewed all feedback received during the comment period. Feedback received through this process will also be used to inform current and future transportation and planning initiatives in the region, and will be considered in future updates to Connecting the East. Feedback received through this process will also be used to inform current and future transportation and planning initiatives in the region.

Key themes from the comments received include the need for:

  • More reliable, accessible, and safe transportation options, including local and intercommunity transit, passenger rail, and active transportation
  • Improvements to road infrastructure at key locations to facilitate better connections and improved safety
  • Further consideration of the needs of farmers and farmland in transportation planning
  • Support for transportation to boost tourism
  • Planning for the environmental impacts of transportation

MTO is currently undertaking several actions identified in the draft plan where this feedback has and will continue to be used to inform the Ministry’s work, including: 

Action 4 – Plan for the rehabilitation or replacement of highway structures at 14 locations in the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville and Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry, including long-term plans for the Maitland Road, Edward Street and Highway 16 interchanges, and planning for six to eight lanes along Highway 401.

MTO conducted a second Public Information Centre in September 2023 to present its technically preferred plans to the public. The study is expected to finish in early 2024, and the environmental assessment receive internal ministry clearance a few months afterwards.

Action 5 – Plan for the rehabilitation or replacement of highway structures at five locations in the area of Brockville and the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville, including planning for six to eight lanes along Highway 401 in Brockville.

MTO conducted a second Public Information Centre in Spring 2023. The study was expected to be complete in November 2023 and the environmental assessment receive internal ministry clearance within the following months.

Action 6 – Complete Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment (EA) study to identify rehabilitation, safety, and operational needs, and recommend transportation improvements along Highway 401 in Quinte West and Belleville.

The Preliminary Design and Class Environmental Assessment (EA) study for Highway 401 in Belleville has been completed.

The second study for Highway 401 in Quinte West began in September 2022, examining the replacement of bridges and culverts and establishing the footprint for six and eight lanes in the Quinte West area. The first Public Information Centre is expected in December 2023, with study completion set for the end of 2024.

Action 15 – Undertake a technical study and analysis to support the implementation and further development of the eastern transportation plan, including for the District of Muskoka and Haliburton County.

MTO launched the Eastern Ontario Transportation Planning Study in May 2022. The study will:

  • identify current and future transportation needs and opportunities,
  • determine the most effective actions to meet these needs,  
  • find ways to implement the actions, and 
  • build upon the draft transportation plan by further refining our vision of eastern Ontario to take us to the year 2051.

To ensure that the planning study reflects local understanding of the transportation system in eastern Ontario, Indigenous communities and organizations, municipalities, transportation stakeholders, and the public will have opportunities to provide their input.

Comments received in response to this policy proposal are being considered as part of the planning study.

Action 32 – Work with the federal government to advance planning for their High Frequency Rail proposal to provide frequent, electrified passenger rail service from Toronto to Peterborough, Ottawa, Montréal, and Québec City.

On December 15, 2022, the Government of Canada announced the creation of VIA HFR-VIA TGF Inc. (“VIA HFR”), a new Crown corporation. VIA HFR will operate as a dedicated project office for the High Frequency Rail project.

MTO will continue to work with the federal government on their high frequency rail proposal and will take project developments into account as part of regional planning.

Action 51 – Review locations for alternative fueling stations for public use, including electric and hydrogen.

Through the Ivy Charging Network, Ontario has deployed electric vehicle (EV) fast chargers at 20 ONroute stations along the province’s busiest highways, the 400 and 401. These stations are now equipped with at least two EV chargers at each site, with busier areas equipped with more. The chargers are available to all drivers on a pay-per-use basis and serve all vehicle types.

Additionally, in October 2023, the Ontario government launched the EV ChargeON program to support the installation of public electric vehicle (EV) chargers in Ontario communities outside of Ontario’s major cities. The program aims to increase the number of public EV charging stations throughout Ontario to build a more connected network, make public chargers more accessible and affordable, and encourage more people to switch to EVs.

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

System Policy Office
Address

438 University Ave, 12th Floor
Toronto, ON
M5G 2K8
Canada

Connect with us

Contact

Sign up for notifications

We will send you email notifications with any updates related to this consultation. You can change your notification preferences anytime by visiting settings in your profile page.

Follow this notice

Original proposal

ERO number
019-5259
Notice type
Policy
Posted by
Ministry of Transportation
Proposal posted

Comment period

April 21, 2022 - August 19, 2022 (120 days)

Proposal details

Ontario has developed a draft regional transportation plan for eastern Ontario, addressing the unique needs of the region as we work to make life more convenient for travellers, combat gridlock, and keep goods moving.

The plan contains more than 50 actions that will help connect local communities, increase public transit and active transportation, create a globally competitive economy, and keep our highways safe and reliable.

The plan’s actions are organized under five goals to improve transportation in the region:

  1. Connecting People and Places
  2. Supporting a Competitive and Open for Business Environment
  3. Providing More Choice and Convenience
  4. Increasing Safety and Inclusion
  5. Preparing for the Future

This is the last of four regional transportation plans – including southwestern Ontario, Northern Ontario, and the Greater Golden Horseshoe – ensuring transportation plans cover all regions of the province.

To understand local needs and priorities, the plan has been informed by research, technical work, and previous public engagement consisting of an online public survey and a series of roundtables carried out in the summer and fall of 2021.

This draft plan is a living document that will be updated to ensure that it continues to meet the needs of the people of eastern Ontario. We are committed to working closely with the federal government, municipalities, Indigenous communities and organizations, transportation agencies and local businesses to gather feedback, explore strategies to implement actions in the plan and identify new opportunities for improvement. That is why we are inviting everyone to participate in this process by sharing their feedback on the plan with us.

We look forward to working together on a shared vision for eastern Ontario’s transportation network.

Supporting materials

View materials in person

Some supporting materials may not be available online. If this is the case, you can request to view the materials in person.

Get in touch with the office listed below to find out if materials are available.

Transportation Planning Branch
Address

777 Bay Street
Suite 700
Toronto, ON
M7A 2J8
Canada

Comment

Commenting is now closed.

This consultation was open from April 21, 2022
to August 19, 2022

Connect with us

Contact