Economic study further strengthens case for Morriston bypass, says MPP Arnott

NEWS RELEASE
Ted Arnott, MPP
Wellington-Halton Hills
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 12, 2013

Economic study further strengthens case for Morriston
bypass, says MPP Arnott

(Queen’s Park) – A new economic study initiated by the Township of Puslinch strengthens the
case for the Highway 6 Morriston bypass, says Wellington-Halton Hills MPP Ted Arnott.

“I want to thank Mayor Dennis Lever, Township of Puslinch Council and staff, who took the lead
to get this economic study done,” Mr. Arnott said. “The Provincial Government cannot ignore it.”

In a statement in the Ontario Legislature on December 11, Mr. Arnott insisted that the economic
study, led by Dr. Clarence Woudsma of the University of Waterloo, underlines the need to move
forward with the much needed bypass.

“The current traffic logjams through Morriston are costing commuters tens of millions of dollars
every year, and the commercial traffic costs are in the millions annually, Dr. Woudsma’s study
indicates,” Mr. Arnott informed MPPs. “He also confirms this corridor is a key link in our trade
with the United States.”

Mr. Arnott pointed out that the report found that the bypass would reduce costs significantly for
the local business community.
“When we met with the former Minister of Transportation in May of last year, he inquired about
the views of the local business community,” Mr. Arnott said. “This study answers that question
directly, and I quote from the study: ‘There is unanimity from the business community that the
construction of the bypass would reduce their costs significantly.’”
The Government of Ontario plans to spend $2.2 billion on new highway construction this year
alone. Mr. Arnott has long believed that the Highway 6 Morriston bypass project should be a
priority, and has raised the need for it many times in the Ontario Legislature.

“I urge the Minister of Transportation to agree to meet with Township officials and industry
leaders in the New Year to discuss the report and how we can work together to get the
Morriston bypass on the five year plan,” Mr. Arnott ended his statement in the House.

On February 19, the very first day the Legislature began its current session, Mr. Arnott tabled a
Private Member’s Resolution calling upon the Government to put the Highway 6 Morriston
bypass on the Ministry of Transportation’s Southern Highways Program. It is the very first
Private Member’s Resolution on the Order Paper.

“So many people in Puslinch Township have worked hard to show support for this project, and
their efforts have helped a great deal,” Mr. Arnott concluded afterwards.

(Attached: Hansard record of Mr. Arnott’s Statement in the Ontario Legislature, December 11,
2013)

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Ted Arnott, MPP
Phone: 416-325-3880
Email: ted.arnott@pc.ola.org

Ontario Hansard – 11-December 2013

Mr. Ted Arnott: The case for building the Highway 6 Morriston bypass has been strengthened by a new
economic study initiated by Mayor Dennis Lever and the council of the township of Puslinch. The study
was led by Dr. Clarence Woudsma of the University of Waterloo, and it confirms what we in Wellington-
Halton Hills have been saying for years: The traffic bottleneck at Morriston, on Highway 6 south of the
401, is not just a local issue, but affects a whole region of the province and the economy.
The current traffic logjams through Morriston are costing commuters tens of millions of dollars every
year, and the commercial traffic costs are in the millions annually, Dr. Woudsma’s study indicates. He
also confirms this corridor is a key link in our trade with the United States. It’s an essential link between a
large portion of the Lake Huron and Bruce region and the Hamilton-Niagara region and the eastern
seaboard of the United States.
When we met with the former Minister of Transportation in May of last year, he inquired about the views
of the local business community. This study answers that question directly, and I quote from the study:
“There is unanimity from the business community that the construction of the bypass would reduce their
costs significantly.”
We are united in our call to get the Highway 6 Morriston bypass on the Ministry of Transportation’s
southern highways program, their five-year plan for new highway construction, consistent with my
private member’s resolution, the very first one listed on the Legislature’s order paper. I urge the Minister
of Transportation to agree to meet with township officials and industry leaders in the new year to discuss
the report and how we can work together to get the Morriston bypass on the five-year plan.