Whereas on February 15, 2024 the Province announced it will be introducing new legislation through the Get It Done Act in the Legislature’s spring sitting, which if passed will prohibit Ontario from introducing new tolls on provincial highways and potentially require public consultation before considering new tolls; and,
Whereas Highway 407 East from Brock Road (Regional Road 1) in Pickering to Highway 35/115 is provincially owned with tolls set by the province; and,
Whereas if excluded from the proposed ban on tolls, Highway 407 East would become the only tolled provincially owned highway in Ontario, resulting in unfair economic impacts to Durham Region residents and businesses; and,
Whereas planned Regional construction work to widen Winchester Road (Regional Road 3) from Anderson Street to Baldwin Street (Regional Highway 12) will necessitate reducing Winchester Road to one lane of traffic in one direction over two construction seasons impacting travel times for residents and businesses; and,
Whereas removal of tolls on Highway 407 East work would improve overall travel times and alleviate the traffic impacts on surrounding Regional and local municipal roads during the Winchester Road construction.
Now therefore be it resolved:
- That the Council of the Town of Whitby request the Province of Ontario to amend the Get It Done Act to include the removal of road tolls on the existing Highway 407 East from Brock Road in Pickering to Highway 35/115; and,
- That the Clerk be directed to circulate this motion to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of Transportation, all Durham Region MPPs, and all Durham municipalities.