Local representatives call on the province and Metrolinx to fulfill their commitments
March 8, 2022 — Press release from Councillors Sean O’Meara (Regional and Oakville, Ward 1), Beth Robertson (Oakville, Ward 1), Cathy Duddeck (Regional and Oakville, Ward 2), Ray Chisholm (Oakville, Ward 2), Paul Sharman (Regional and Burlington, Ward 5)
The Town of Oakville and City of Burlington received updates from Metrolinx (the province’s agency for coordinating and integration transportation in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area) on the Burloak and Kerr Street Grade Separations.
Metrolinx indicated it could no longer meet its commitment to the costs agreed to by all parties involved for both the Burloak and Kerr Separations and that the Kerr Street underpass would be deferred with no future timeline. These changes to our agreements with the Provincial agency are unacceptable to us.
Grade separations not only ease congestion, they are pivotal to the health and safety of our community for vehicles and pedestrians and ensure rail transportation moves unimpeded across the Lakeshore West Line. As representatives in areas directly impacted by these railway crossings, we hear daily about delays, safety issues and concerns from our residents. We are determined to ensure the province and Metrolinx fulfill their commitments to the residents in our neighbourhoods and the Halton community at large.
We are calling on all Halton MPPs to work to ensure the government’s commitments to the construction of both grade separations move forward and that they do so immediately and at the costs agreed to with the municipalities in 2018. Now is not the time to put critical infrastructure on the back burner. With the province mandating growth throughout our communities, we in good conscious cannot continue to fulfill the province’s demands of added population without safety being put first.
Movement throughout our region relies on critically integrated corridors and the infrastructure to move those vehicles, pedestrians and transit safely and quickly. This is more than a step backwards; the government has slammed the car in reverse. We are calling on all residents who have a stake in this infrastructure getting built to contact your MPP and let them know that these delays, deferrals and cost overruns are unacceptable.
Stephen Crawford (Oakville) – stephen.crawford@pc.ola.org
Parm Gill (Milton) – parm.gill@pc.ola.org
Jane McKenna (Burlington) – jane.mckenna@pc.ola.org
Effie Triantafilopoulos (Oakville North-Burlington) – effie.triantafilopoulos@pc.ola.org
Signed:
Sean O’Meara, Regional & Town Councillor Ward 1
Beth Robertson, Town Councillor Ward 1
Cathy Duddeck, Regional & Town Councillor Ward 2
Ray Chisholm, Town Councillor Ward 2
Paul Sharman, City of Burlington Council Ward 5
