Bill 212 - Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 – Building Highways Faster Act , 2024

The Government of Ontario:

• Recognizes the need to build priority highways faster as our province grows in order to get people and goods out of gridlock and save drivers and businesses time and money.
• Recognizes that accidents and lane closures can worsen traffic congestion and impact the quality of life of Ontarians.
• Is speeding up the delivery of broadband projects that will connect people in all parts of Ontario, including rural areas, with reliable internet access.
• Is building Highway 413, recognizing the importance of this highway to millions of drivers from across Ontario.

Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024

The Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 (RGSYTA), if passed, will make it easier to build the infrastructure needed to strengthen Ontario’s economy, improve traffic flow and make life easier for Ontarians.

Building Highways Faster Act, 2024

The Building Highways Faster Act, 2024 (BHFA) is an initiative under the proposed RGSYTA. If passed, this new legislation will allow for expedited construction timelines for priority highway projects like Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass and the Garden City Skyway. This proposed legislation would, if passed, grant the Minister of Transportation new powers to accelerate receipt of infrastructure information, such as the location of underground utilities, as well as utility relocation and property access and acquisition.

Designating Priority Highway Projects

If passed, the proposed Building Highways Faster Act, 2024 would define Highway 413, Bradford Bypass and Garden City Skyway as priority highway projects. It would also enable other highway projects to be designated in the future. With designation, the authorities created in the Building Highways Faster Act can be applied to the designate projects.

The BHFA, if passed would:

If passed, the proposed Building Highways Faster Act, 2024 would override most municipal by-laws that might prevent or restrict the delivery of goods or services to the priority highway project. Certain exceptions imposed by by-laws would continue to apply, including weight restrictions on bridges, speed limits, and closures of municipal roads for maintenance, construction, and special events. These provisions apply only where the Minister designates a priority highway project or part of such a project in a regulation.

Move from a court-driven appeal process to an expedited appeal process to the Minister for disputes on MTO notices for utility relocations on priority highway projects. The proposed amendments also provide authority for the Minister to cause work to be done if the utility company fails to undertake the relocation.

Give the Minister authority to compel owners and operators of utility infrastructure to provide MTO with information concerning infrastructure, where it may be affected by a priority highway project.

Where MTO has determined that property expropriation is necessary to support a priority highway project, the proposed legislation would, if passed, remove a property owner’s ability to apply to a judge for a later date of possession under 39(3) of the Expropriations Act. This would help to ensure that the construction schedule for designated projects is not impacted. MTO would continue to work with property owners to determine appropriate expropriation and possession timelines.

Would create offence and penalty provisions for individuals and corporations that, in connection with a priority highway project, obstruct MTO officials from accessing property to carry out field studies or from taking possession of property that MTO has the right to possess and from tampering with equipment left on a property as part of a site inspection. Penalties, in the form of fines, would mirror those in the Building Transit Faster Act for obstructing inspections.

The government is committed to balancing environmental protection with the need to support crucial infrastructure development that will benefit the economy. This includes consideration of potential construction impacts such as noise, dust, and lighting. The ministry will continue to work with communities to manage and mitigate construction impacts, including taking all reasonable measures to work within the spirit and intent of local bylaws.

MTO will continue to maintain existing environmental processes to mitigate environmental impacts and address local concerns on a project-by-project basis. Construction activities will be undertaken in a manner to minimize noise levels and reduce impacts to the community.