Ontario Road Builders'​ Association (ORBA)’s Post

Always interesting when we get a chance to hear from a Minister in their portfolio. Today we are at Parliament House again for a cities conversation. Our city centres are the heart of our urban environments and within our major cities, nationally significant. Liveable, equitable, productive, sustainable and resilient are excellent over-arching objectives from the commonwealth. The challenge is how to implement in the ground, particular with a legacy of existing infrastructure that sets the parameters for new ideas. A challenging area for the federal government to engage in given the division of powers in Australia but areas noted by Minister King included a role to support: 1. Enabling infrastructure and planning reform. 2. Net zero transport 3. Grants program to support precincts and places. In terms of how are cities are going, some really interesting work presented by Urbis. Canberra remains a high achiever - leading in health and diversity metrics. Not so much in transport, vibrancy or distinctiveness (natural and built form). This provides an interesting platform to discuss a cities infrastructure priorities. Well done Committee for Capital Cities on a really interesting discussion.

🚧 Addressing Ontario’s Congestion Crisis: Insights from New Research 🚧 The Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and Ontario are at a crossroads, grappling with the escalating challenge of traffic congestion. A recent study commissioned by ORBA and RCCAO, and conducted by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis highlights the profound economic and social impacts of this issue, reinforcing the need for urgent action. Key Findings from the Study: 💰 Economic Costs: Traffic congestion costs Ontario $56.4 billion annually, with $44.7 billion within the GTHA alone 📉 Lost Productivity: Long commutes and delays significantly reduce business revenues and limit jobseekers’ ability to pursue opportunities 🏡 Quality of Life: Over half of GTHA residents have considered relocating due to daily frustrations with gridlock. To combat this crisis, the study underscores the importance of strategic infrastructure investments, including: 🚛 Highway 413: This vital project will provide much-needed capacity in the GTHA, easing congestion and improving the movement of goods and people 🛣️ Twinning Highway 69: Enhancing this critical corridor between Northern and Southern Ontario will bolster economic development and improve travel safety and efficiency. With Ontario’s population projected to grow by 41.7% over the next 27 years, our highways and transit systems must evolve to meet future demands. These projects are essential for unlocking Ontario’s economic potential, enhancing productivity, and improving the quality of life for residents. The Ontario Road Builders' Association is committed to working with policymakers, business leaders, and communities to prioritize these key infrastructure investments. The time to act is now. 🗞️ Press release: https://lnkd.in/eJsESkfR 📖 Read the full report: https://lnkd.in/ek5hm_sb #OntarioInfrastructure #Highway413 #Highway69 #TransportationSolutions #EconomicGrowth #RoadBuilders #TrafficCongestion

The Somerset County, NJ circulation plan, developed through our Subregional Studies Program, recognizes the need to locate #affordablehousing units in areas with safe and accessible multimodal #transportation options. Read more about the plan's recommendations: https://lnkd.in/eWNCGFqY #somersetcounty

It was great to join Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow and Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure Kinga Surma, MPP at the Toronto Region Board of Trade this week for a crucial discussion about solutions for Toronto’s $11 billion congestion crisis. I shared some findings from our recent poll on perceptions of traffic and congestion in the GTHA: 86% of GTHA residents believe we are experiencing a traffic and congestion crisis. The poll also revealed that 53% of residents have considered relocating due to traffic, highlighting the significant impact of congestion on quality of life. You can access the full findings from our poll here: https://lnkd.in/gXzK-P4N Let's continue this important conversation. What solutions can we explore to tackle Toronto's congestion challenges? #TorontoTraffic #CongestionCrisis #TorontoRegionBOT

Ontario has successfully completed vital highway upgrades at the Gateway to the Ring of Fire, a significant achievement in improving transportation access to one of the province's most important resource development regions. These upgrades are designed to enhance the safety, efficiency, and accessibility of the route, supporting both local communities and the growing demand for transportation to the Ring of Fire area. The completed upgrades include improvements to road surfaces, safety features, and infrastructure, all of which will help facilitate safer and more reliable travel for all. This project marks an important step in strengthening Ontario’s transportation network and its commitment to sustainable economic growth in the north. This development is being carried out in partnership with Indigenous communities, as First Nations partners with the province to unlock multi-generational economic opportunities in Northern Ontario. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3VO5MaN #SafetyOnYourSide #RingOfFire #InfrastructureDevelopment #HighwayUpgrades #Ontario #Transportation

Major Projects: Feeling the Benefits It’s impossible to disagree with the argument presented in the article Rupert Biggin shares from The Guardian that serious #capital #investment in #transport #infrastructure - particularly in the north - is massively overdue! There’s been lots of attention on the issue of the UK’s ability to deliver major projects recently (rightly so given the HS2 debacle) but I’m curious about how helpful the current framing of the debate really is 🤔 The traditional “iron triangle” of project management - #scope, #schedule & #cost - has long been the standard for measuring the success of major projects. However, for large, complex #infrastructure programmes that span years and cost £billions, this model feels increasingly inadequate. Delays are inevitable, scope evolves as requirements shift, & early cost estimates are often speculative at best, making it unrealistic to hold these metrics as the primary indicators of success for the lifetime of the programme. Instead, we should shift our focus towards #benefitsrealisation - as per Prof. Bent Flyvbjerg #OxfordTriangle. Success should be measured by the long-term #value delivered, not simply adherence to original timelines or budgets. This includes assessing how well the project delivers #economic, #social, and #environmental outcomes, how adaptable it is to changing needs, and how it contributes to broader #strategic goals (these would have to be defined of course). By focusing on the tangible, lasting benefits rather than rigid targets, we create a more dynamic and realistic framework for managing complex #projects. Sydney Opera House is a prime example: it was 10 years late and cost 14 times the original budget. By traditional metrics of time and cost, it was a failure. However, in terms of benefits realisation, it is an overwhelming success. The Opera House has become a global cultural icon, a major driver of tourism, and a key contributor to Australia’s economy, generating far more revenue than its initial cost. Its architectural significance and the value it has brought to Sydney’s identity and cultural life have more than justified the overruns. This shows that the true success of projects lies not in hitting short-term budgetary or scheduling targets, but in the long-term benefits they deliver. If the MTR Elizabeth line does generate £42 billion in economic benefits, will anybody care that it was £4 billion over budget, or a few years late? In essence, success is about whether the promised benefits are actually delivered. Thank f*ck the Victorians were a little more courageous when it came to investing in ambitious transport projects focused on delivering long-term benefits 🚂 … (Also, worth noting that the £42 billion figure referred to in the article is the estimated benefit of the project to the UK economy over 60 years, not ‘to date’). #CapitalInvestment #FutureOfTransport #RailInvestment #ProjectDelivery #Benefits #EconomicGrowth #Ambition

Carolyn reads: Finally work and book promotion has calmed down a little. For those of you unlucky enough to have missed Canadian Urban Institute's State of Canadian Cities Conference last week, the emphasis on our infrastructure challenges has been ably summarized in a really magisterial report coordinated by School of Cities, University of Toronto. The introduction is 20 pages that will reward your time - and good to see housing as infrastructure integrated in the discussion. https://lnkd.in/grxvyHuW

On October 30, the Ontario government released its fall economic statement, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by the province due to high interest rates and global instability, while continuing to focus on the Plan to Build and related infrastructure investments aimed at accelerating housing development. Katarzyna Sliwa, Isaiah Banach, Karen Sadler and Diana Doracin provide an overview of key infrastructure-related announcements outlined in the statement. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e5yX8ter #Ontario #Infrastructure #LandUsePlanning #FallEconomicStatement

Today, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce’s President and CEO, Daniel Tisch, APR, FCPRS, ICD.D, released a statement following the Government of Ontario’s direction to Metrolinx to prioritize “GO 2.0” transit development:   “The Ontario Chamber strongly encourages continued focus on transit and infrastructure development, in consultation with the business community. This includes equally prioritizing a highly skilled labour force, protecting valuable agricultural lands and natural resources, implementing electrification and automation, driving value for money, enabling intermodal integration, and optimizing project delivery – from planning and design to operation and maintenance.”   Read the full release here: https://lnkd.in/grQ-REFu

🚇 Building a Better Future for Ontario Commuters! 🚇 Our Ontario PC government is delivering the largest transit expansion in Canadian history, ensuring that thousands of commuters in Simcoe-Grey and across Ontario can count on safe, efficient, and reliable public transit every day. Although this project began under the previous Liberal government, it’s the Ontario PC Party under Premier Doug Ford that’s cutting through the red tape and getting it done. ✅ Shovels are in the ground on transformative projects like the Ontario Line and the Scarborough Subway. ✅ We’re building faster and smarter to address the growing demand for transit across the province. This historic transit expansion isn’t just about transportation—it’s about creating jobs, growing our economy, and ensuring a stronger, more connected future for all Ontarians. Let’s get Simcoe-Grey moving forward together! 💬 What transit improvements would you like to see in Simcoe-Grey? Tell us below! #SimcoeGrey #ONPC #DougFord #BrianSaunderson #TransitExpansion #OntarioLine #ScarboroughSubway #OntarioPCParty #Infrastructure #BetterTransit