Agenda materials have been posted for Metrolinx’s board meeting on Friday, and while this is largely a “taking care of business” meeting, some interesting items are included.
In particular, there are some refinements of timelines for the Metrolinx Regional Transportation Plan. We should now see the draft Plan tabled at the July 25 board meeting, and likely online a few days before that as a “draft draft” (if that makes any sense). At the same time, we will see the Investment Strategy, which is Metrolinx’s attempt to build a sustainable model for building whatever they end up recommending.
The draft Plan is being delayed so that it can be released at the same time as the Investment Strategy. This is a sound move, since it will allow the Plan to be discussed in the context of the financial strategy that would pay for it. Without this linkage, the immediate response is likely to be “nice plan, but is there any chance of government agreeing to pay for all of this?” We need to move to a sustainable model of transportation financing that is less dependent on the political stripe of the government currently in power.
In September, a series of public meetings will be held across the GTHA, including one in Whitby on September 16th. Locations will be announced later.
A final version of the Plan is expected in the fall (likely October/November).
Finally, a status report on the first two rounds of Metrolinx quick win projects indicates that service should begin on the Highway 2 BRT in summer 2010, although construction (presumably on the widening required to support a dedicated transit/HOV lane) will continue past 2012.
Filed under: BRT Implementation, Metrolinx
