Solutions

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The Solution:

The Solution is really nothing more than having MTO and the Government accept and follow Ontario’s Statutory Environmental Assessment regime. 

What is needed is a new holistic environmental study of the transportation needs and solutions in this region, under both provincial and municipal jurisdiction. 

  • The attached report explains why we need an entirely new holistic study of the transportation needs of the Lake Simcoe Watershed south of Cooks Bay. 

  • The Bradford Bypass will do nothing for the residents of Bradford and East Gwillimbury except impose vast amounts of unsustainable sprawl.

  • MTO’s studies and reports show that this highway will not solve local traffic problems.

  • MTO states that these problems are the responsibility of local municipal governments,

  • The only reasonable way to solve local travel problems is to extend Ravenshoe Road and possibly Bradford’s 8th Line over the Holland River.  These routes are discussed in more detail under the tab Alternatives.

  • There will be so much salt contamination from the Bradford Bypass that these local road bridges over the Holland River will not be permitted if the Bradford Bypass is already in place. 

  • As it is, without the Bradford Bypass, Lake Simcoe will become a saltwater lake within 38 years.

  • What’s needed is a new environmental assessment that looks at both provincial and local transportation problems to determine the optimum solution for all problems.

  • For starters, there is absolutely no reason why the Bradford Bypass should be build over this floodplain, greenbelt and Holland Marsh.

  • It should be built south of Newmarket. This would not only save our environment, it would also save taxpayers huge amounts of money by not having to float the highway over this extremely high water table or suspend it overhead on Gardiner Expressway type columns.  

  • Rename the Bradford Bypass the Bradford Thoroughfare in all correspondence. This will help the public to better appreciate the effect this highway will have on Bradford. This highway will not bypass Bradford, it will ultimately go right through it. This highway will cause sprawl on either side of the route through and adjacent to Bradfod

  • Include the Highway 89 Extension Environmental Assessment Study (1984) in the alternatives to be considered. (If MTO can rely on an the outdated Bradford Bypass EA study initiated in 1993, it should also be able to rely upon this 1984 study to a similar extent).

  • Properly consult with our First Nations peoples, with particular focus on the Chippeaws of Georgina Island with respect to any potential salination of Lake Simcoe and intrusion on the historic Lower Landing.

  • Using the analysis data obtained in identifying and evaluating reasonable alternatives, employ the following assessment criteria to prepare a financial and environmental cost/ benefit report comparing the Bradford Bypass to one or more of the other alternatives identified.

  • Use the following criteria in conducting this cost / benefit analysis: 


CRITERIA FOR ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES.

Routes to be analyzed. 

At a minimum, the following routes should be analyzed:

  1. Ring road corridor south of Newmarket
  2. Bradford Bypass
  3. Ravenshoe Road to Line 13
  4. Queensville Sideroad, via Bathurst St. and Hochreiter Road with 8th line in Bradford
  5. MTO’s previously preferred Highway 89 Extension route to Ravenshoe Road

Criteria to be reported:

  • Traffic volume and travel times – peak and average
    1. Barrie to Keswick
    2. Barrie to Highways 404 and 401
    3. Hwy 89 at Highway 400 to Oshawa
    4. Keswick to Highways 400 and 401
    5. Vaughn to the planned employment lands on Queensville Sideroad in East Gwillimbury
  • Construction cost for each alternative
  • Greenhouse gas produced for each alternative both construction and peak operation
  • Estimated extent of environmental impact for each alternative – scale 1-5 with 5 being highest


Compare each of the above findings for the Bradford Bypass to each of: alternatives 1, alternatives 1 plus 2 and alternatives 1 plus 3 or 4.

  • The objective of this analysis is to determine the cost, in both dollars and carbon emissions, of the presumed incremental travel benefits of the Bradford Bypass versus the proposed regional road upgrades and possible Hwy 400 – 404 connector highway along a corridor south of Newmarket. 

 

Final words:

Ontario’s Professional Engineers have clearly stated how this EA study process needs to be conducted:

OSPE’s Position

Infrastructure projects should not be politicized. They should be based on evidence and reported to the public and stakeholders transparently.

The Ontario Government should develop and use standard, evidence-based project evaluation tools. The quality of project evaluation reports for each major infrastructure project should be independently reviewed for merit. This should be accompanied by providing transparent reports available to the public outlining all project approvals and rejections, along with detailed summaries of decisions.

To ensure that the province is investing in proper infrastructure projects, the government needs to be transparent and answer all questions and concerns regarding each project. The Bradford Bypass is no exception.