The Getting Ontario Moving Act

On June 4, 2019, Ontario government passed the Getting Ontario Moving Act that will upload responsibility for new subway lines get built faster, improve road safety and keep Ontario’s roads among the safest in North America, and protect frontline workers and schoolchildren.

The Ontario Line Subway

As part of Ontario’s historic $28.5 billion transportation vision, the province is building a new subway line, the Ontario Line, to better connect people and reduce travel times across Toronto.

• The Ontario Line will deliver real relief for transit users across the entire subway network by creating relief on the Yonge Line that will enable the Yonge North Subway Extension into Markham and Richmond Hill. It will better connect people and reduce travel times across Toronto with a critical east-west and north-south travel route from the Ontario Science Centre all the way to Ontario Place.
• Amending the Metrolinx Act to enable the upload of responsibility for new subway projects from the City of Toronto to the province will allow to build subways faster.
• The 15-kilometre Ontario Line will be longer and more effective – and open sooner than the Downtown Relief Line South. With 30% more capacity than the current Yonge Line, and more frequent trains, transit users will have a better, faster and more convenient commute.
• The Ontario Line subway will cost an estimated $10.9 billion and could be open by 2027. It builds on the existing plans for the Downtown Relief Line South and will provide convenient connections to other transit and transportation options like GO Transit, streetcars, bus routes and major roads.
• The Province nominated the Ontario Line for federal funding in May 2019 and is looking to work with the federal government through the summer to secure conditional federal support for the project while work is done on the full business case analysis.

Keep Ontarians Safe on our Roads, Highways, and Bridges

• Protecting frontline, roadside maintenance, construction, tow truck and recovery workers from careless and dangerous drivers by strengthening applicable penalties.
• Continuing our efforts to keep children safe by allowing a new Administrative Monetary Penalty framework that gives municipalities the tools they need to target drivers who blow by school buses and threaten the safety of children crossing roads to their school or home.
• Improving the flow of traffic and enhancing road safety on our highways by introducing tougher penalties for driving slowly in the left-hand lane.
• Making learning to drive safer and reaffirming that alcohol, drugs and illegal substances never mix with driving by introducing two new offences for any driving instructor that violates a zero blood-alcohol concentration or drug presence requirement while providing in car instruction.
• Improving road conditions and ensuring community safety by creating an offence for defacing or removing traffic signs.

Cut Red Tape, Reduce Regulatory Burdens, and Find Efficiencies within Government

• Amending Highway Traffic Act references to align with recent changes to the Criminal Code of Canada.
• Improving the flow of traffic and making it easier to build highway infrastructure by allowing temporary alterations to special-use lanes within designated construction zones.
• Supporting development by updating the Public Transportation and Highway Improvement Act (PTHIA) for above ground and below ground structures.
• Accelerating the construction of projects by updating PTHIA permitting for standalone earthworks for grading work.
• Making life easier for tourism operators and recreational off-road vehicle drivers by simplifying the rules around off-road vehicles to allow them to operate on municipal roads unless specifically prohibited.
• Reducing the burden on the shortline railway industry through amendments to better manage performance.
• Creating efficiencies by eliminating the outdated Enhanced Driver’s Licence program.

Get People Moving with GO Rail Expansion Program

• The next stage of the GO Rail Expansion program will improve and expand GO train service into a two-way, all-day rapid transit service every 15 minutes on core segments of the GO Rail network.

June 4, 2019, Ministry of Transportation

Sources:

• https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2019/06/ontario-looking-to-work-with-federal-government-to-help-commuters-in-toronto.html
• https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2019/06/ontario-passes-the-getting-ontario-moving-act.html
• https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2019/06/ontario-passes-legislation-to-build-subways-faster-improve-road-safety-protect-frontline-workers-and.html
• https://news.ontario.ca/mto/en/2019/05/ontario-getting-people-moving-with-go-rail-expansion-program.html