Good Roads is pleased to provide its members with key highlights of the Government of Ontario’s 2024 Budget. Below, we outline important developments that directly impact member municipalities:

1. Infrastructure Investment Focus: The provincial government has allocated significant funding towards new infrastructure projects, including a $1 billion municipal infrastructure fund aimed at supporting home construction. Additionally, over $600 million has been earmarked for water and wastewater infrastructure upgrades. This was announced in the lead up to the budget.
2. Community Sport and Recreation Fund: A new $200 million fund has been established to support the creation and upgrading of community sport and recreation infrastructure. No details have been announced on program design, but its likely municipalities would need to apply for such funding.
3. Property Tax Relief for Rental Apartments: Municipalities will now have the ability to charge up to 35 per cent lower property tax rates on new purpose-built rental apartments. While this initiative aims to stimulate the construction of rental housing, it’s essential to note that it falls short of addressing broader funding concerns raised by municipalities in light of Bill 23.
4. Ontario Transit Investment Fund: The launch of the Ontario Transit Investment Fund, with an annual allocation of $5 million, is aimed at delivering local and intercommunity transportation projects in underserved areas, particularly in rural regions. This initiative essentially makes the Community Transportation Grant Program permanent.
5. Building Ontario Fund: The establishment of Ontario’s new infrastructure bank, the Building Ontario Fund, is noteworthy. With an initial allocation of $3 billion, the fund aims to support critical infrastructure projects and attract private capital to meet the growing needs of the province. It also explores opportunities to support large-scale municipal infrastructure projects.

While these initiatives represent positive steps towards addressing critical infrastructure needs and supporting community development, it’s important to highlight some areas of concern:

• Lack of Investment in Rural Road Safety: Despite some positive initiatives, the budget overlooks the pressing issue of rural road safety. Good Roads’ advocacy for improved rural road infrastructure and safety measures has not received adequate attention in this budget. Rural communities face unique challenges concerning road safety, and without sufficient investment, these issues may persist, posing risks to all road users.
• Maintenance Funding Gap: The budget lacks sufficient funding for maintaining existing infrastructure, posing challenges for municipalities grappling with aging infrastructure systems. Sustainable funding for maintenance and rehabilitation remains a pressing issue that requires attention.
• Comprehensive Funding Solutions Needed: While targeted investments are welcomed, a comprehensive approach to municipal funding is necessary to address the diverse needs of municipalities effectively. Sustainable funding models are essential for ensuring the long-term viability and resilience of our communities.

As advocates for municipal transportation and infrastructure, it’s imperative to continue engaging with policymakers to address these concerns and advocate for the needs of our municipalities. We encourage all members to stay informed and actively participate in discussions surrounding municipal transportation and infrastructure.

Pursuant to Good Roads Policy B-008, the Nominating Committee of the Good Roads Board of Directors will present a slate of 11 directors to serve as the 2024-2025 Good Roads Board of Directors.  This slate will be presented to attendees at the Annual Good Roads Conference taking place April 21 – April 24, 2024, at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, Ontario. It will be comprised from Good Roads’ municipal and First Nations membership.

The Good Roads Board of Directors understands the strength that diversity provides and is committed to achieving equity and inclusion on its leadership team. Women and individuals from equity seeking groups are encouraged to apply.

The following directors will automatically serve on the 2024-2025 Board of Directors:

• President: Antoine Boucher – Director of Public Works and Engineering, Municipality of East Ferris;
• First Vice-President: Cheryl Fort – Mayor, Township of Hornepayne;
• Second Vice-President: Paul Ainslie – Councillor, Ward 24, Scarborough-Guildwood, City of Toronto and
• Immediate Past President: John Parsons – Division Manager, Road Operations, City of London;

The slate will satisfy the geographic requirements prescribed in Section 12 of the Constitution as well as the criteria in Policy B-008.

The following vacancies need to be filled:

Access the Good Roads Zone Map here.

Those elected shall serve for a two-year term ending on Wednesday, April 01, 2026.

The Nominating Committee will meet on Tuesday, February 20, 2024, to recommend a slate of directors to the membership. The Nominating Committee is comprised of the following directors:

• Chair: Paul Schoppmann, Immediate Past President
• Vice Chair: Dave Burton, Past President
• Members: Antoine Boucher, Good Roads First Vice-President, Cheryl Fort, Good Roads Second Vice-President, Justin Towndale, Good Roads Director

Questions regarding the nomination process or serving on the Board of Directors can be directed to Scott Butler at scott@goodroads.ca or 416-564-4319.

Good Roads, a municipal association dedicated to promoting the improvement of Ontario’s roads, has taken a bold step into the world of online education. With the support of D2L Brightspace, the organization is venturing into the digital realm to extend its reach to a broader community of learners. By embracing online learning, Good Roads has succeeded in engaging new audiences within the private sector and First Nations communities, empowering them with vital knowledge and resources.

For more details view the case study and blog on the D2L website.

The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) has reached out to key stakeholders to inform them that they will be introducing an off-road vehicles (ORV) safety enhancement strategy this fall. This strategy will include a series of legislative amendments.

These proposed amendments come after the Office of the Chief Coroner called an inquest into the death of nine-year-old Horatio McLeod from an ORV collision in 2017. The inquest was held to raise awareness and provide recommendations to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. The verdict set out 24 recommendations to address ORV safety, 18 of which were addressed to MTO.

Ontario currently permits ORV use both on-road and off-road. The Highway Traffic Act (HTA) regulates on-road use and the Off-Road Vehicles Act (ORVA) regulates off-road use. This creates regulatory inconsistencies based on operating environment. There are four key problem areas MTO would like to address:

1. Alcohol and drugs are highly overrepresented in severe ORV collisions.
2. Drivers <16 have higher ER and hospitalization rates than any other age group and have greater difficulty controlling ORVs due to mass, strength; likely to have head injuries and fractures.
3. No minimum age required for ORV passengers and no restrictions for passengers in single-rider ORVs. This does not align with on-road requirements.
4. Increased risk of serious injury and death on ORVs where the operator was not wearing a seat belt at the time of collision, but seat belts are not required in Ontario unless fitted/installed by the manufacturer.

The ministry wants to hear feedback on the following key focus areas:

• Potential impacts to local economies resulting from proposed changes;
• Impacts to families and riders in secluded rural and Northern areas, including access to necessities;
• Resources available to enforce ORV safety and options for collaboration to identify ways to increase those resources;
• Challenges or limitations our proposals may pose to ATV riders; and
• Additional areas where emphasis is needed to address rider health and road user safety.

Please see the accompanying slide deck for more details.

It is expected that the legislative amendments will be included in a planned fall road safety bill with the proposed amendments hitting the Ontario Regulatory Registry in September.