A decision was made on May 27, 2008 to proceed with the proposal as posted.

The ministry posted the draft Transit Priority Statement (TPS) on April 3, 2008, for public consultation for 45 days on the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) Environmental Registry. The EBR posting closed for comments on May 18, 2008.

The Ministry of Transportation in conjunction with the Ministry of Environment also conducted focused consultations during the EBR posting period and held an Information Session on April 30, 2008 with various stakeholders consisting of environmental non-governmental organisations, transit organizations, Ontario government ministries, federal departments, the municipal sector, and other EA practitioners.

As a result of the public consultation, the ministry received one written comment.

Additionally, copies of the comment are available for public viewing by contacting the contact person listed in this notice.

Public Consultation on the proposal for this decision was provided for 45 Days, from April 03, 2008 to May 18, 2008.

As a result of public consultation on the proposal, the Ministry received a total of 1 comments: 1 comments were received in writing and 0 were received online.

Additionally, a copy of all comments are available for public viewing by contacting the Contact person listed in this notice.

 The comment received on the TPS was supportive.

Specifically, the comment called for a change to the legal weight or status of the TPS under the Environmental Assessment Act (EAA). The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has no legislative role with respect to the EAA, therefore comments of this nature are deemed to be outside the scope of MTO’s policy revisions.

Additionally, the comment called for a transit “hierarchy” that establishes sustainability criteria to assist proponents in siting, designing and implementing transit projects in a manner that maximizes environmental, energy and societal benefits. The ministry recognizes the province has diverse local and regional needs for transit with respect to, but limited to, land-use, population density and travel patterns. Transit decisions that maximize overall benefit are best made by local municipalities that understand their specific local needs.

Heide Garbot
EBR Coordinator
Ministry of Transportation
Policy and Planning Division
Transportation Planning Branch
1201 Wilson Avenue
Floor 3
Building B
Downsview Ontario
M3M 1J8
Phone: (905) 704-2213
Fax: (905) 704-2007