Transportation a vital part of growth plan
By Bruce Haire

With Simcoe County expected to grow to 667,000 people by 2031, transportation will be a key part of the plan.

The Master Transportation Plan calls for Highway. 400 to be widened to 10 lanes, and for the Ministry of Transportion to build the Bradford bypass to provide more options for those people travelling south.

Auto trips will increase by 39 per cent over the time period from the current figure of a million trips per day.

They will beef up the county road system, create car pooling lots, and protect rail corridors.

The CP line from Bolton through New Tecumseth and Essa could become a GO line.

High speed internet offers the opportunity to work at home said consultant Kevin Jones of Earth Tech.

They want to see by-passes for Barrie, Collingwood, Stayner and Cookstown and call on the county to protect those rights-of-way limiting access until those by-passes can be built.

Locally they want to see trail systems and off road systems be developed to encourage walking and cycling within and even between communities.

They also want to see large companies like Honda and even the county to encourage car pooling programs.