Elections
Do you support completing the Mid-Peninsula Highway? Why or why not?
Responses to the question: "Do you support completing the Mid-Peninsula Highway? Why or why not?"
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5 Candidate Responses (top)
| Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale | ||
|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Brief Response | Full Response |
| Erik Coverdale | No | Proposals for new highways including the Mid-Peninsula Highway are based on inflated congestion numbers and an assumption that future growth will follow a business as usual model. There has been no provision for re-thinking how we will move in the future and what these roads will do to the greenbelt and our rural communities. Just building our way out of congestion through expansion of the road system simply does not work and will not be cost effective. The consequences of urban sprawl, that will follow new highways, on our rural landscape will be devastating. We need to focus on transit-oriented development in our urban communities and creating livable communities that reduce the need to travel. The green party supports making transit, walking, and cycling more desirable alternatives to the use of automobiles, reducing the need for additional road capacity.
|
| Glenn Langton | No | I Do not support that project, for the same reasons as I gave in my other responses due to budgetary concerns and bureaucratic / infrastructure concerns. I also feel that maximizing the existing secondary routes with small bypasses, lane additions, utilizing rail, air and shipping, would be a better and more cost effective solution to reducing the traffic flow on the major arteries. |
| Robert Maton | Maybe | The Liberals have put a hold on this project for 20 years, while the Conservatives want to build the Fort Erie-Hamilton Airport stretch as soon as feasible. The people of Flamborough are not in favour of this project because it would drive a major route through their farms and disrupt their rural community. Its location on the escarpment would also affect green space and cause environmental damage. The Mid-Pen would also lend support to development of the St. Mary's Quarry close to the 401, which could disrupt rural communities as well, and present environmental challenges. Meanwhile, however, Toronto is gridlocked by over development, while Hamilton, just a few miles away, needs development and industrial opportunities. This writer has talked about a vision of Hamilton like that of Pittsburgh, which successfully made the transition from heavy industry to manufacturing, health care, education, and high technologies 30 years ago. Because of the legitimate concerns of citizens along its proposed route, I believe the Mid-Pen should be put on hold while other options are explored. If other options are patently not feasible, then the Mid Pen should be brought back for further discussion. |
| Ted McMeekin | No | We've been hearing a lot about the proposed Mid-Penn Highway recently. I want to be clear about where I stand on the issue. I stand with my community.
I stand with those trying to preserve farmland and greenspace. I stand with those that do not want to see their family and friends displaced. I stand with those that do not want to see millions of more vehicles come through our community every year. Quite frankly, Tim Hudak is planning on bringing a multi-billion dollar super-highway through our backyards. This is plan that could very well be up to ten lanes wide and could materialize as a toll road. We remember the 407 debacle: hundreds of millions of dollars invested in a new, multi-lane highway just to see it sold off at fire-sale prices to a multi-national company. The result is exorbitant tolls for motorists. Let's not take that road again. This plan could see millions of acres of prime farmland and greenspace paved. It could also see hundreds, if not thousands, of homes displaced. A new super highway would see millions of cars roar through our community every day, with little economic benefit to our local businesses. I won't let this happen! What I support is a practical transportation network that works for Flamborough. The Ministry of Transportation has concluded that another highway artery in this area is not needed. Tim Hudak's position is irresponsible and reckless: the Mid-Peninsula highway is not needed. |
| Trevor Westerhoff | No | The NDP's first priority for reducing congestion is to make transit more accessible and affordable to Ontarians. Second, we believe we can make much more efficient use of highways - for example, by speeding up the planned implementation of high-occupancy vehicle lanes. There may be cases where the expansion and extension of highways is necessary, but all cost-effective and environmentally preferable options should be explored first - something we believe the Liberal government has failed to do. Historically, we have raised concern about planned highway expansions that threaten the Greenbelt, such as the Bradford by-pass, the GTA West highway to Guelph, and the Mid-Peninsula highway. We will continue to raise those concerns in the future. |
Response Summary (top)
| Brief Response | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
| Yes | 0 | 0.0% |
| No | 4 | 80.0% |
| Maybe | 1 | 20.0% |
3 Candidates Have Not Responded (top)
| Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Westdale | ||
|---|---|---|
| Donna Skelly | ||
| Peter Melanson | ||
| Rick Gundermann | ||
