The Town is poised to develop a plan that will help guide the transportation needs of the community out to 2051.
It will be called the Mobility Master Plan - a change from previous years, when such a document was known as a Transportation Master Plan (last completed for Halton Hills in 2011) - and the Town has earmarked $500,000 in the budget to cover the cost of developing it with a consultant over the course of 18 to 24 months.
The item was the subject of much debate by council this week, with some councillors voicing concerns that the plan’s goal is to move away from using cars as a main mode of getting around.
Town transportation planning co-ordinator Ivan Drewnitski told council the plan will look at enhancing mobility for all forms of transportation (walking, cycling, public transit and personal vehicles).
“This isn’t a move away from cars, but more towards a shared value,” he said. “This doesn’t mean that cars are not the priority, but that there’s a place for them for those who really need to use them while encouraging alternate modes for sustainable transportation options.”
Councillor D’Arcy Keene contended that at least 95 per cent of the community needs one or more cars, given the size of Halton Hills and the fact it’s a commuter town.
“An automobile is not a luxury, it’s not an option - it’s an absolute necessity,” he said.
“I can’t support spending half a million dollars to have some consultant verify this unrealistic expectation of the future. It’s not applicable to this town. We’re not downtown Amsterdam - we’re Halton Hills.”
Councillor Jason Brass took Keene to task on his position.
“The idea of the study and having a consultant go through it is not to diminish the need of the car. We all have cars, Councillor Keene - that’s not the point,” he said.
“The point is to bring this whole thing together to see how we can move people efficiently, not just with cars, but other modes of transportation.”
“I respectfully disagree, sir. I’m reading the report and I’m seeing a diminishment of the car and accentuation of other forms,” Keene said before Councillor Clark Somerville, who was chairing the committee portion of the meeting, cut off the debate between the two councillors.
Councillor Joseph Racinsky said he shares Keene’s concerns, pointing to the values listed in the plan’s draft terms of reference that say it will “encourage alternative forms of transportation such as walking, cycling, and public transit” and “reduce dependency on passenger vehicles.”
“I truly believe this master plan should focus on the actual needs of the community, rather than pushing other modes of transportation at a great cost to the town,” he said.
Councillor Jane Fogal said in her opinion, the plan “is not an attack on the car,” but rather a way to inclusively look at other modes of transportation, in addition to the car.
“One thing on everybody’s mind is affordability. Part of affordability is, how do we move around? If people could get by with one car instead of two because we have other options, that’s affordability for people,” she said.
“People who can afford all these cars can have all the cars. Nobody is taking away cars. We’re going to go out and talk to the public about what their needs are and we’re going to listen to them.”
In an effort to allay concerns, acting CAO Bill Andrews told council that staff is trying to look at community mobility in a holistic fashion, with cars always playing a “critical role in Halton Hills.”
“I can’t emphasize enough, the goal is not to get rid of the car,” he said.
The majority of council members went on to endorse the proposed scope and process for the plan and supported issuing a request for proposal to find a consultant. The motion will be ratified at the next council meeting August 26.
Following that, Town staff hopes to get the project underway this fall and finalized by spring 2026, with extensive public consultation planned during that time.
