Why does York Region council support the GTA West Highway? Opinion

Yorkregion.com
Feb. 26, 2021

Dear York Region mayors and councillors,

Re: Agenda item E. 2.1 “Greater Toronto Area West Transportation Corridor Update”

Please rethink your position on supporting the province’s determination to construct the GTA West Highway (a.k.a. Highway 413).

Please revise it as follows:

“We the members of York Region council recommend that this GTA West Highway not be built.” Or ...

“We the members of York Region council recommend that this GTA West Highway not be built at this time. However, if it is to be built, then we request ...” then continue with your recommendations from the Transportation Committee.

This highway is to be built without all the usual environmental safeguards in place. Will this highway cause more downstream flooding with all the non-permeable surfaces created and with the destruction of many wetlands?

We need to preserve land for farms, forests to help with climate change, and natural wetlands to be natural absorbers of excess water. Artificial wetlands do not work the same.

Nobleton and Laskay will not profit from this highway. It will only serve to contribute more traffic and air pollution through our communities.

King Township has declared a climate emergency. In such a time as a climate emergency, more consideration must be given to public transportation. If more highways are built, then more people will continue to drive cars. The trucks should be encouraged to use the nearby 407, by reducing the tolls for trucks.

During this pandemic, more and more people have discovered that they can actually work from home. This may well result in the future having less people needing to drive to work.

The cost of this highway is enormous. The funds could be better spent on support for our long-term-care homes and our hospital staff.

Thousands of people across the GTA West corridor, including me, have signed petitions asking their MPPs to reconsider this highway. Thousands of people, including me, have asked the federal government to perform a federal environmental assessment for this.

Why is York Region in support?

Please withdraw your support for this destructive polluting GTA West Highway.

Nancy Hopkinson
King