Guelph Mercury - Saturday February 8, 2003
Robert (Bob) A. Beyette

Dear Editor - Are you are aware that a governmental boondoggle is happening regarding the mid-peninsula transportation corridor and in particular the proposed mid-peninsula highway which will by riding atop "our" protected (or at least it was) Niagara Escarpment?
This proposed highway will feed into one of the 400 series highways. If you think traffic is bad on the 401 now, wait till this proposed mid-peninsula feeder artery bleeds a mass of transports and cars into it.
The taxpayers of Ontario have forced our government to pull back hydro from the brink of privatization, are getting them thinking about reversing the 407 highway privatization sale (scandal).
And now, they're getting them to think about their wasting $1.5 billion of taxpayers hard-earned dollars on a proposed solution highway that is not even close to being the best solution.
I, like many others, would like to know how the Ministry of Transportation, as directed by Norman Sterling, intends to comply with the wishes of the growing majority of discontented voters in regard to the moratorium as called for by the Citizens Opposed to Paving the Escarpment (COPE) on the proposed mid-peninsula highway.
As reflected on its Web site (www.cope-nomph.org), COPE along with other organizations, municipalities and thousands of individuals such as myself have called for a moratorium on all further planning and assessment of the mid-peninsula highway until such time as the Smart Growth Panels have reported and the MTO has demonstrated that it will respect Smart Growth principles -- the environment, the inputs from stakeholders and the policies of other levels of government -- when formulating transportation policy and planning.
All of us, hopefully including you too, call on the MTO to recognize that a forward-looking and responsible transportation strategy for the province will encompass rail, transit, marine, improvements to existing structures and other transport modes as well as new roadways.
Talk/write/email your MPP and ask for their support in arriving at a transportation solution that's truly best for the people of Ontario, not the friends of the politicians.
To ensure correct thought processing, remind your MPP that an election is just around the corner.
Please help make a difference as we really are in it together.
Robert (Bob) A. Beyette
Campbellville

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