Mulroney’s southwestern Ontario transportation plan a good start.

           There is cause for guarded optimism from Transport Minister Caroline Mulroney’s January 17th announcement of a transportation plan for southwestern Ontario. For at least two decades municipalities and advocacy groups have diligently engaged with both the province and the federal government on the need for a forward-thinking public transportation strategy to provide both capacity and options to handle the forecast population and economic growth in the region.

           The agricultural community and the taxpayer must have breathed a sigh of relief when the high-speed rail project, proposed by the provincial Liberals under Kathleen Wynn, was finally binned. The provincial Conservatives, driven more by financial probity than “HSR - me too” hubris of the Liberals, finally conceded that making our existing rail infrastructure more productive and attractive to the travelling public makes much more sense.

           Bringing passenger rail improvements firmly into the plan together with local transit expansion and integration was a refreshing change to the highway-centricity of the past half century. It reflects an understanding that better balance in transportation is critical to the economic success and quality of life of those living in southwestern Ontario. But we shouldn’t, for one minute, think that this is going to be quick, easy and cheap.

           In a recent TVO “The Agenda” interview, Phil Verster, President and CEO of Metrolinx, noted that $4.5billion would be invested by the province in a range of transit improvements in the Greater Golden Horseshoe in 2020 alone. He suggested that this level of annual investment might need to continue for at least two decades to match passenger demand. Paying for this will be problematic. But perhaps there’s no option if the region is to accommodate forecast population growth and remain globally competitive and livable.

           And it’s not just about money but the ability to plan and physically build the needed infrastructure improvements. In many respects southwestern Ontario will be as challenging as projects in the Toronto region due to conflicting interests of passenger and freight operations. Resolution will involve tough negotiations with the objective of a mutually beneficial outcome. Whether the province and the private sector can build enough trust remains to be seen.

           The priority must be the removal of existing rail bottlenecks including a major upgrade of Bayview Junction, north of Hamilton and relaying the second track between Komoka and Sarnia. They are fundamental to capacity expansion. Early agreement on these will dictate how many more passenger trains can be added between Toronto, Windsor and Sarnia. Just restoring the service frequencies of 1979 would be a major achievement.

           Only when these issues are successfully resolved, engineered and funded can we anticipate improved schedules, shorter journey times and fewer delays. The courage and political will to embark on these prerequisites, supported by the federal government, will be indicative of how serious the province is about fulfilling its commitments. It will also signal whether southwestern Ontario will be “Open for Business” - the stated objective of the Ford government. If the choice is to rely on a capacity constrained 400 series highways, it most certainly won’t.

           The question of ticket affordability will also need very careful consideration. Would-be users often balk at VIA Rail fares and grumble about GO Transit fares even though they are not out of line by international standards. Relatively low gas prices and the absence of deterrents including universal highway tolling and congestion charging skew peoples’ arithmetic in favour of the car. This will need to change

           Consequently, an early consideration by planners will be to ask the people of south western Ontario whether they will accept the more basic, lower cost GO train model or pay a premium for the higher cost, better appointed and more intensively staffed VIA train. In Europe it’s not unusual to see both options offered on the same route with differential pricing and schedules.

           So far, Mulroney’s draft plan is aspirational, but it does recognise a demonstrable need. Implementation must be evidence-based, transparent and free of the political meddling and apathy that landed us in the current mess. It could turn southwestern Ontario into a magnet to inward investment, provide secure, high-paying jobs while improving our quality of life.

           The plan surprisingly made mention of climate change so perhaps it’s part of a double epiphany by the province that something substantive needs to be done. Having dispensed with the fantasy of high-speed rail the focus must now be on turning mere words into concrete actions.

Ken Westcar,

Woodstock

January 31st 2020