Moving people and goods by rail a focus of new OCC report

A project near and dear to Peterborough in the form of VIA Rail’s High Frequency Rail proposal, has been mentioned in a new report from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce on transportation needs in Ontario. The report is the first in a series on the transportation needs of the province and highlights three areas of opportunity that will help improve the movement of goods and mobility of Ontarians. One of those three areas is moving people by rail.

The report points to short- and long-term opportunities for using rail, including VIA Rail’s High Frequency Rail proposal, CN Rail’s Milton Logistics Hub, the use of advanced signalling technology to increase capacity on subways, bringing two-way all-day GO Train service to the Innovation Corridor, developing ‘Union Station West’, and the return of passenger rail to Northern Ontario.

“Transportation is the backbone of our economy, affecting the movement of people and goods and the everyday lives of residents and businesses,” says Stuart Harrison, President & CEO, Peterborough Chamber of Commerce. “We have long maintained that the return of passenger rail, as well as improved freight capacity for the Peterborough region is highly desirable to our economic wellbeing into the future.”

The other two areas of this report are:

1. Transit planning governance (with an initial focus on the GTHA)

2. Autonomous vehicles

Ontario was the first province in Canada to implement a pilot regulatory framework to allow for the testing of autonomous vehicles and driverless technology. The report calls attention to the readiness of the province for the reality of autonomous vehicles in the near future, recommending Ontario capitalize on its first-mover status in this space. The Peterborough Chamber and the

OCC urge all levels of government to work together with industry to attract future investments, innovation, and jobs, as well as ensure Ontario is the first province to reap the benefits associated with this technology.

“There are many challenges for communities from relative congestion, limited transit connectivity, population growth, aging assets, unique regional needs, and a historic under-investment in infrastructure leading to a significant gap between the actual and needed infrastructure in Ontario,” adds Harrison.

In a recent OCC survey, 58 percent of Ontario businesses rated existing transportation infrastructure as fair or poor. With much of the existing infrastructure in Ontario built in the 1950s and 1960s and nearing the end of its useful life, the OCC recognizes that the costs of investment are high, and Ontario is far behind when it comes to building new and maintaining old infrastructure. The Peterborough Chamber and the OCC have developed an initial thirteen strategic and pertinent transportation recommendations for a stronger Ontario. Although not an exhaustive review of all transportation modes and regional needs across the province, this approach will help to address the current and future transportation needs of the province.

Transit Planning Governance

1. Unlock Metrolinx’s potential to improve integration between regional transit services in the GTHA.

2. Develop a multi-modal transit hub at Toronto Pearson International Airport.

3. Conduct a review of transportation assets and limitations in Northern Ontario to determine how mobility in this region can be immediately improved.

4. Support municipal governments as they develop innovative solutions to address transit challenges.

5. Establish Transportation Ontario, an independent, provincewide transportation planning authority that would advise the Ministry of Transportation and support regional transit agencies.

6. Develop a 30 to 50-year LongRange Transportation Plan.

Moving People and Goods by Rail

7. Develop a goods movement convenor framework that engages municipalities, the freight industry, relevant provincial Ministries, and the federal government where appropriate.

8. Invest in state-of-the-art technology such as CBTC to address immediate capacity concerns on the TTC subway network.

9. Prioritize investments with the greatest potential to provide a strong return on investment via economic growth.

10. Partner with the Canada Infrastructure Bank to secure funding for critical rail projects in both Northern and Southern Ontario.

Autonomous Vehicles

11. Regularly review and update the existing AV pilot regulatory framework and evaluate existing legislation to determine if AV-relevant modernization is required.

12. Anticipate Ontario’s AV future within the province’s upcoming Long-Term Infrastructure Plan.

13. As the current Canadian leader in this space, the Government of Ontario should encourage the federal government to act on AV readiness.

“50% of Ontario businesses view transportation infrastructure as critical to their competitiveness.

The province needs a plan that is strategic, provides value for public dollars, optimizes existing assets, leverages the private sector and technology, and takes into account the unique needs of our province,” added Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the OCC.“Moving forward, we will continue to consult our members on the province’s vast and diverse transportation needs.”

The transportation file is extremely important to the Chamber Network. We will continue to provide thought leadership on other modalities as part of our advocacy.