With the provincial leaders debates behind us, and just over one week to go before Ontarians head to the polls, Good Roads is delving into the municipal, transportation, and infrastructure promises made by the various parties to give you the information you need to cast an informed vote. We read all the party platforms, monitored news releases, and watched the leaders debates so you didn’t have to! Below is a summary of each party’s commitments.

Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario

• Transportation Infrastructure: Commitments include building a tunnel under Highway 401, widening Highway 69 from Parry Sound to Sudbury, and removing tolls on the provincially owned portion of Highway 407 East.
• Legislation and Funding: The party pledges to pass legislation banning congestion pricing on all provincial and municipal roadways.
• Municipal Funding Initiatives: Plans include providing an additional $5 billion for the Building Ontario Fund (bringing the total to $8 billion) to support housing, long-term care, energy, transportation, and municipal infrastructure projects.
• Housing and Infrastructure: An additional $2 billion is earmarked for the Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program and the Housing-Enabling Water Systems Fund to support housing construction and municipal needs.
• Community Infrastructure: Plans include increasing the Community Sport and Recreation Fund by $300 million to build more rinks, arenas, and sports facilities.

Ontario New Democratic Party

• Roads and Highways: The NDP promises to widen Highways 11/17 and 69 and build the Cochrane Bypass.
• Public Transit: Plans include expanding intercity bus and rail transit, fast-tracking Northlander service under a Northern Rail and Bus Strategy, and cost-sharing municipal transit operating funding 50-50 to improve reliability and affordability.
• Municipal Financial Responsibilities: The NDP proposes uploading the costs of affordable housing, shelters, homelessness prevention, formerly provincially owned controlled-access highways, and “Connecting Link” highways back to the province.
• Infrastructure and Climate Resilience: The party pledges predictable, formula-based funding for municipal infrastructure maintenance and snow clearing, with extra support for small and Northern municipalities. Additional commitments include helping Northern municipalities adapt to climate change.
• Highway Tolls: The NDP promises to eliminate tolls on the entirety of Highway 407.

Ontario Liberal Party

• Housing and Development: The party proposes scrapping development charges on new housing and creating the Better Communities Fund (BC Fund) to help municipalities cover infrastructure costs.
• Public Safety and Transit: Commitments include hiring 300 additional special constables for major transit agencies, doubling investments in Mobile Crisis Intervention Teams, and providing funding for transit safety equipment such as cameras.
• Transit Infrastructure: Plans include installing platform doors in all TTC subway stations.
• Municipal Infrastructure Spending: Pledges focus on prioritizing infrastructure spending for hospitals, schools, roads, and transit in communities where they are most needed.

Green Party of Ontario

• Housing and Zoning Reforms: The Green Party proposes requiring municipalities to permit developments using pre-approved building designs and expanding zoning permissions to allow for fourplexes and four-storey buildings as-of-right within existing urban areas, and six-plexes in cities with over 500,000 people.
• Planning and Development: Additional commitments include pre-zoning midrise housing (6-11 storeys) on transit corridors, eliminating minimum parking requirements for new developments, and enabling a mix of housing in all neighborhoods.
• Municipal Revenue and Autonomy: As part of its New Deal for Municipalities, the party pledges to allow municipalities to implement revenue tools for infrastructure funding and to upload costs such as community housing, shelters, and transit back to the province.
• Infrastructure and Climate Resilience: Proposals include a $2 billion annual Climate Adaptation Fund for municipal infrastructure and predictable funding for safe walking, cycling, and accessibility improvements.
• Municipal Governance: Plans include allowing ranked ballot voting for municipal elections, reducing campaign donation limits, and removing strong mayor powers.
• Public Transit and Transportation: The party supports province-wide intercity electric bus services, expanded all-day GO service, and a ban on new 400-series highways in the Greenbelt, including canceling Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.
• Community and Economic Development: Proposals include allowing small businesses like corner stores and cafes in residential neighborhoods, reinstating brownfield remediation funds, and implementing a province-wide vacant homes tax.

Each party presents a distinct vision for Ontario’s municipalities, with varying approaches to infrastructure, transit, housing, and governance. We encourage you to take the time to assess these commitments carefully to determine how they align with your local priorities and long-term planning needs.

Reminder: Election Day is February 27. If you won’t be around, take the time to vote early between February 20-22. Can’t vote those days either? Head to your local election office and cast your vote there any day before election day. For more information on voting, visit Elections Ontario’s website. Get out and exercise your democratic right!