Transportation and Public Transit that Works

Doug Ford’s Conservatives have turned transportation policy into a cheap political tool to pander to their friends and attack opponents. Doug Ford’s scheme to build a massive tunnel under Highway 401 and his obsession with meddling in municipal decisions, including Toronto’s bike lanes, are just two examples.

Lee Fairclough understands that getting around is a daily challenge for millions of Ontarians: people stuck in traffic, commuters waiting for unreliable public transit, and rural and Northern residents without safe, practical transportation options. When Ontarians aren’t moving, neither is our economy. Gridlock and unreliable transit make daily life harder and rob people of time with their families.

Lee also understands that safe, reliable roads are critical infrastructure across Ontario. They get people to appointments, bring Ontario goods to market and keep communities connected. People need roads that are well maintained and designed for safety, with safe intersections on busy highways and adequate shoulders for cycling.

Effective transit and transportation look different across Ontario, reflecting our province’s diverse geography, communities and economies. In Eastern Ontario, that could mean helping students in Belleville get to and from college. In Northeastern and Northwestern Ontario, it could mean helping people travel safely between communities for medical appointments, to visit loved ones or to get to work, even in dangerous weather. Across Ontario, people want the same things: safety, reliability and connection.

Lee’s Plan

A Lee Fairclough Liberal government will invest in our public transportation infrastructure and systems to ensure all Ontarians have a reliable, safe, and affordable transit network. These policies will include:

Municipal Transit that Works for Everyone

Ontarians deserve transit they can count on, no matter where they live. Lee will restore predictable funding, faster and more frequent service, and real accountability for the agencies that deliver it.

Reliable, affordable transit in every community

• Restore predictable annual operating funding for municipal transit agencies to support more routes, improved service, and more affordable fares.
• Set a minimum year-round service standard for provincially funded rail and bus corridors outside of the GTA, and require a published date for restoring service whenever it falls below that standard.
• Work with the City of Ottawa to upload responsibility for the LRT to the province, bringing real funding and accountability to the system.
• Fund a regional transit authority for Eastern Ontario, governed by a local board representing participating municipalities, to provide coordinated, affordable transit across municipal boundaries. Explore two-way, all-day service to connect communities, as GO Transit does across the GTA.
• Work with Ottawa and Gatineau municipalities, the federal government and others to improve transit connections between the two regions.
• Explore options to improve Ontario Northland’s bus and passenger rail services.
• Work with the federal government and VIA Rail to explore restoring passenger rail service to Northwestern Ontario, with Ontario as a committed partner.

Faster, more frequent GO service across the Greater Golden Horseshoe

• As part of a new Greater Golden Horseshoe/GTHA Regional Transportation Plan, move faster with electrified trains that offer 15-minute peak service and reliable off-peak service on the Lakeshore, Kitchener, Barrie, and Stouffville GO lines that Ford’s Conservatives delayed. Expedite detailed planning and negotiations with the private sector track owner for the Milton Line to enhance service.
• Develop a comprehensive Bus Network Plan to restore the GO bus routes the Ford Conservatives eliminated in 2019 and connect riders in smaller communities to GO trains and regional centres.
• Invest in signal priority for GO buses and create a fund for transit signal priority infrastructure enhancements for municipalities.
• Fix the crew shortages behind GO’s recent service cuts with a published crew capacity plan, and a proper training and apprenticeship pathway that treat transit operators as the skilled tradespeople they are, including contract terms that require competitive compensation and improved working conditions.

Accountability and value for money

• Conduct a comprehensive value-for-money audit of Metrolinx spending and project delivery, covering cost overruns, procurement, contract disputes, and transparency, building on the Auditor General’s findings on the Eglinton Crosstown LRT and of the Ottawa Light Rail Transit Public Inquiry.

Better, Safer Roads for Everyone

Ontarians deserve safe, reliable roads that get them where they need to go. Businesses depend on them to get employees to work, bring goods to market and deliver services. A Lee Fairclough Liberal government will invest in proven solutions that reduce congestion and make our roads safer.

Evidence-based solutions, not political schemes

• Immediately cancel Doug Ford’s fantasy 401 tunnel plan and reinvest this money into evidence-based solutions that reduce traffic across major highways.
• Throughout this leadership campaign, Lee has heard concerns from people across Ontario about the proposed Highway 413. Lee shares many of these concerns, including the potential harm to nature and the Greenbelt. Others point to more cost-effective solutions, including better use of Highway 407. Given that construction has not yet started, as Liberal Opposition Leader, Lee will fight for a comprehensive, open and transparent review of Highway 413, and maximum value for money for Ontarians.

Safer highways in every region

• Invest in infrastructure to improve safety on Highways 11, 17, and the Trans-Canada, through highway twinning or the two-plus-one model, and complete twinning on Highway 69.
• Fix dangerous intersections on provincial highways, starting with those with the worst collision records, using roundabouts and all-way stops where they are proven to reduce serious crashes.
• Give municipalities stable, formula-based funding for local roads and bridges so small and rural communities can plan repairs.

Safer streets and stronger enforcement

• Increase fines for speeding and dangerous driving in school zones. Fine revenue will be invested in traffic calming and safety measures around schools.
• Crack down on excessive speeding and dangerous driving on 400-series highways with substantially higher fines and expanded OPP enforcement.

A new deal for Ottawa and the region

• Highway 174, a key route connecting Orléans and surrounding rural communities to Ottawa, has not kept pace with growth and needs to be widened to Rockland.
• Work with the City of Ottawa to upload major provincial routes, including Highway 417 to get trucks out of the downtown core, and build the Barnsdale Road–Highway 416 interchange to serve Ottawa’s fast-growing south end.
• Explore a new connecting ring road to Highways 416 and 417 as a new 400-series highway.

Active transportation

• Establish a comprehensive Active Transportation Plan to build safe walking and cycling routes across Ontario, supporting local economies, public health and tourism.

When Ontarians aren’t moving, neither is our economy. With Lee Fairclough as Premier, Ontario will have a transportation system that is safe, reliable, affordable and built for every region — from the GO train to the school zone crosswalk to the highway that brings goods to market.