TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO:
WHEREAS Northern highways are lifelines for communities, workers, families, and the economy;
WHEREAS Northern Ontario has seen too many serious collisions due to unsafe highway conditions;
WHEREAS Highways 11 and 17 are critical for Northern life and the provincial economy, yet are not maintained to the standard
Northerners deserve;
WHEREAS the lack of four-laning on Highway 69 causes higher risk to drivers and greater delays in the event of an accident;
WHEREAS highway closures prevent workers from reaching their jobs, causing lost wages and economic hardship, and
WHEREAS safe and reliable highways are essential for Northern economic development.
THEREFORE we, the undersigned, petition the Legislative Assembly of Ontario:
- Improve winter maintenance outcomes on Northern highways, including MTO intervention or takeover of failing maintenance
contracts; - Advance the 2+1 highway project along Highway 11;
- Classify highways 11 and 17 as Class 1 Highways requiring snow to be cleared within 8 hours of the end of a snowfall;
- Complete the four-laning of Hwy 69;
- Work directly with Northern communities to address regional transportation safety needs;
- Restore MTO oversight of drivers licensing and testing when private delivery fails to meet provincial safety standards, and
- Introduce its own legislation or measures if proposals from the Official Opposition are not adopted.