RCCAO, ORBA poll finds support for new Ontario road infrastructure
The Residential and Civil Construction Alliance of Ontario (RCCAO) and the Ontario Road Builders Association (ORBA) have released the findings of a joint poll showing that a majority of respondents support the expansion of road infrastructure across the province.
Prepared in part as a response to environment minister Stephen Guilbeault’s remarks last month that the federal government wasn’t interested in funding new road infrastructure, the survey suggests strong support for projects like Highway 413, the Bradford Bypass, and the Ring of Fire.
The groups say the findings underscore the importance of building new critical transportation infrastructure projects to address traffic congestion, accommodate population growth, expand trade routes and enable new economic opportunities for natural resource development in Northern Ontario.
The results of the poll, reveal that:
- 2 to 1 of respondents disagreed with Guilbeault’s statement that the federal government should “stop investing in new road infrastructure”
- 2 to 1 of respondents support Highway 413
- 2 to 1 of respondents support the Bradford Bypass
- 4 to 1 of respondents support the Ring of Fire development project
- 2 to 1 of respondents believe “the government needs to build or expand more roads and highways” (where they live)
- 2 to 1 of respondents believe “the government needs to build or expand more roads and highways” (across the province)
“Ontarians have made it clear that they want all levels of government to invest in new and existing road infrastructure to alleviate congestion and open up more economic opportunities,” said Nadia Todorova, Executive Director of RCCAO. “It is time for the federal government to accept the will of the people and support transformational infrastructure. Projects like Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass, and their supporting transit pairings, will better enable the movement of people and goods throughout one of North America’s fastest growing regions.”
“Canadians depend on roads and highways to get to work, drive their children to hockey practice and ensure their loved ones receive adequate health care. Today’s results show everyday people understand the critical need for these generational transportation infrastructure projects,” said Walid Abou-Hamde, CEO of ORBA. “The road building industry also employs more than 56,000 men and women in Ontario, that is tens of thousands of good paying jobs supporting workers and their families across the Province.”
Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass are key components of the Greater Golden Horseshoe’s Transportation Plan. The plan includes record investments in both road and transit infrastructure to support the country’s most populous and growing region, including support for housing and other required critical infrastructure.
The polling reveals that after years of debate, the people of Ontario support these projects and recognize their importance as a key component of transportation planning for the region. Ontario’s stringent environmental assessment requirements and modern industry engineering capabilities are able to advance responsible infrastructure development while protecting the province’s environment.
The full findings of this research are available at rccao.com/blog/buildON.