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Frequently
Asked Questions 11. How long will it take to construct the 407East? When will construction begin? 12. Will the 407 be a toll highway? 13. How does the property acquisition process work? 14. When is the next public meeting? 15. How can I find out if my property will be impacted by the 407 extension? 16. Permission to Enter (PTE) requests - when will soil testing, etc take place? 18. How do I get on the mailing list? 19.How did I get on the mailing list? 20. Has the route been approved? Have the links from the 401 to the 407 been approved and finalized? 23. Can the Technically Recommended Route (TRR) be changed? 24.Will the route be changed during the Preliminary Design process? 27. Why doesn’t the Province just build the transit component of 407East? 28. Why wasn’t Lakeridge Road chosen for the West Link? 29. What is the transit corridor and when will it be used? 30. With the 407East corridor in place, will Highway 401 or Highway 7 still need to be widened? 32. Will the entire 407East corridor be constructed at one time? Is there a staging plan? 33. How will natural environmental impacts be addressed? 34. Have all of the environmental impacts been taken into account? 35. Will the 407East Corridor result in commercial development along its length? 36. I have seen people surveying in the field. What is going on? 37. Will there be an interchange on Highway 401 with Lakeridge Road? 38. I am having an issue with my transponder! I would like to speak with someone about my bill.
Transportation Problems and Opportunities: Transportation problems and opportunities are identified from one or more of the following sources:
An example of a transportation problem is: A lack of transportation system capacity to serve existing or future travel demands (gridlock). An example of a transportation opportunity is: Improving a transportation system by removing excess traffic from local neighbourhood roads. Problems and/or opportunities statements provide the basis for identifying a range of reasonable alternative solutions to the undertaking. Alternatives to the Undertaking: Provincial transportation facilities address international, inter-provincial and inter-regional movements of people and goods. Alternatives which may be considered include:
Alternative Methods: Transportation engineering standards, significant environmental features, and environmental impacts are considered in route development, assessment and selection. If the preferred alternative to the undertaking is transportation facility, alternative methods would examine "route location alternatives". Concept Design: A Concept Design is prepared for the recommended alternative method (route). The level of engineering design information must be sufficient to support:
A Concept Design for a transportation facility typically includes the following elements:
Regulatory Agency: The term Regulatory Agency refers to a federal or provincial body (e.g., a Department, Ministry, and Agency etc.) that may have expertise or a mandate relevant to the Hwy 407 East Environmental Assessment. Class Environmental Assessment: The Class Environmental Assessment for Provincial Transportation Facilities provides a decision-making framework under the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act, and applies to a range of infrastructure projects. The Class EA document defines the process to be followed, and identifies requirements for public participation and study documentation.
The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is required to conduct an Environmental Assessment (EA) process that addresses Provincial and Federal legislative requirements. The EA process for major transportation facilities involves extensive consultation with a broad range of stakeholders, including the public, regulatory agencies and municipalities. In the case of major projects such as a new transportation facility, an EA must be conducted. The first step, in accordance with the
Ontario Environmental Assessment Act (OEAA), is the development
of an EA Terms of Reference (ToR). This document develops a framework
for completing the EA. The EA TOR requires approval by the Minister
of the Environment, prior to proceeding to the Individual EA. Following
approval of the EA by the Minister of Environment, the Ministry
of Transportation may proceed with design and construction. These
stages also are regulated by the Canada Environmental Assessment
Act (CEAA) and require additional environmental studies and consultation.
3. What is the status of the 407 East Environmental Assessment? On January 17, 2005, the Minister of Environment approved the Environmental Assessment (EA) Terms of Reference (ToR) for 407 East that was submitted on November 29, 2004. The ToR document was approved with minor amendments resulting from comments received during the formal public review period held September 27, 2004 to October 26, 2004. The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO), in consultation with the Region of Durham, its constituent and surrounding municipalities, will now be commencing an Environmental Assessment (EA) Study to address transportation deficiencies in the Region of Durham. The Environmental Assessment commenced in February
2005 and is being undertaken in accordance with the conditions set
out in the approved EA ToR. The amended EA ToR is available for
viewing on this web site (under Reports) and at municipal clerks
offices and libraries.
The Environmental Assessment (EA) is expected
to take approximately 3-4 years to complete. If approved, the Ministry
may proceed to protect property for the recommended solution. No
timetable has been developed for design and construction. Please
visit the Schedule page for current
project timeline
An Environmental Assessment (EA) Terms of Reference (ToR) is a document which outlines how the Individual EA will be conducted and how Provincial and Federal legislative requirements will be met. Specifically it outlines the process for identifying: transportation planning/need, alternatives to the undertaking, definition of an EA study area, the range and types of alternatives to be considered, how they will be generated and evaluated, how impacts will be assessed, and how the consultation process will be undertaken. An EA ToR must be submitted to the Minister of Environment for review and approved prior to initiating the EA. The consultation program for the 407 East
EA Terms of Reference included Public Information Centres/Meetings,
meetings with a Community Advisory Committee, web site, local project
office, individual meetings with stakeholders, ongoing consultation
with municipalities and provincial and federal regulatory agencies.
6. Why did it take so long to develop the 407 East EA ToR? In the summer of 2003, a draft ToR was completed in accordance with the requirements of the Ontario Environmental Assessment Act. The ToR was prepared as a "focused" document and was intended to be submitted under section 6(2)(c) of the Environmental Assessment Act. Section 6(2)(c) allows the proponent to limit the number and type of alternatives that will be carried forward for further study. During the Summer of 2003, an Ontario Superior Court of Justice quashed Ministerial (of Environment) approval of an EA Terms of Reference for the Richmond Landfill near Napanee, Ontario that was submitted as a "focused" Terms of Reference. This court decision directed that future ToR be unfocused, as a result, changes were made expeditiously and stakeholders, agencies and the public were consulted to ensure that the implications of the court decision were understood and addressed. The changes and consultation was be carried out over six months.
 7. What happened to the previous work done in the 1990's? The project was put on hold in 1994 as
the province was looking at implementation options. Changes to the
Ontario Environmental Assessment Act were made and the Canadian
Environmental Assessment Act was enacted. To obtain approval, work
must be done to satisfy the current legislative requirements. Previous
work will be subject to update, confirmation and possible change
through the completion of the current environmental assessment study.
8. Does the previously recommended route have any status? The route previously recommended in the
1990's currently does not have any formal status. Potential property
impacts of a preferred solution will be determined in later stages
of the study.
9. What will be done to address the needs of the regional road system? The Region of Durham recently completed
a Transportation Master Plan to address transportation needs in
Durham over the next 20 years. This document will consider improvements
to east-west and north-south routes to serve existing and anticipated
traffic patterns associated with planned development in the Region.
It also considers roadway needs with and without the construction
of Highway 407. Further requests for information regarding Durham's
future plans for its road infrastructure should be addressed to
the Region's Works Department.
10. How do I get more information? The Project web site will provide information and various reports over the course of the study. Reports and presentations will be available for downloading as they become available. Documents can also be reviewed at the local project office located at TSH at 300 Water Street in Whitby. You can call and make arrangements to come into the office. The toll-free number is 1-866-840-5529 while the local Whitby number is (905) 665-3474. Documents will also be provided to municipalities and may be made available for public review at their offices.
11. How long will it take to construct the 407East? When will construction begin? The Project Team is working hard to complete the environmental assessment study (EA), and the planned date for the submission for review and approval is late spring 2009.
12.Will the 407 be a toll highway?
13.How does the property acquisition process work? Purchases will be made if funding is available and only on a willing seller / willing buyer basis. Affected property will be appraised by an independent appraiser, with purchases carried out on the basis of the appraised fair market value. For more information on the property acquisition process, please contact Dan Remollino, the MTO Project Manager, at 1-416-235-5576.
14.When is the next public meeting?
15. How can I find out if my property will be impacted by the 407 extension? If you have received notice of potential impacts to your property and would like further information on the ‘advanced property purchase’ process, please contact Dan Remollino, the ministry Project Manager at the contact information noted above. If you have received a map and would like to note a change in your information, please contact the Project Team by calling toll free 1-866-840-5529. Alternatively, you can contact the Project Team at 905-668-9363 to arrange a meeting at TSH’s Project Office located at 300 Water Street in Whitby Ontario to discuss any questions you may have. If you have reviewed the mapping of the Technically Recommended Route (which can be found in the Alternatives Methods Report and various locations on our website) and believe that your property is directly impacted by the route, but have not been notified in writing, please contact the Project Team by calling toll free 1-866-840-5529. Over the next several months, the Project Team will continue to consult stakeholders on the recommended route. As we proceed to the next phase of the study, plans for the recommended route will be developed in more detail and property requirements will be finalized. Impacted property owners will continue to be consulted as we proceed with the study. Public information sessions for the next phases of the study are anticipated to occur in the Spring and Fall of 2008. Please contact us to be added to our mailing list and notified of these events by mail.
16.Permission to Enter (PTE) requests - when will soil testing, etc take place? If you would like to be notified in advance of our field team visiting your property please indicate the number of days notice you require and your phone number when returning the form or contact the Project Team by calling toll free 1-866-840-5529.
17.We have received multiple Permission to Enter (PTE) forms. Should they all be completed and sent back or just one?
18.How do I get on the mailing list?
19.How did I get on the mailing list?
20. Has the route been approved? Have the links from the 401 to the 407 been approved and finalized? The Project Team hopes to submit the Environmental Assessment to the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) for review in late Spring 2009. Timing for approval is dependent upon a variety of factors and beyond the control of the 407 East Project Team.
21. How do you get a copy of the map outlining the Technically Recommended Route (TRR) or maps depicting specific properties and their location in relation to the proposed route? To request mapping of a specific property please contact the Project Team.
22. How was the Technically Recommended Route decided? How was the location of the north/south links chosen? Further details on the assessment and evaluation results of route alternatives can be found in the Alternative Methods Report which is available on the project website at www.407eastea.com or by contacting the Project Team at 1-866-840-5529.
23.Can the Technically Recommended Route (TRR) be changed? The TRR for both the 407 Mainline and the East and West Links were reviewed with the public at a series of Public Information Centres (PICs) in 2007. The TRR’s have also been reviewed with our Community Advisory Group and the both the Municipal and Agency Advisory Groups associated with this project. As a result, the Project Team is moving forward with the development of preliminary designs for the TRR. As part of the preliminary designs, there may be some minor adjustments to each of the routes, however it is not anticipated that a further review of route alternatives will be undertaken.
24.Will the route be changed during the Preliminary Design process?
25.Why are there two links “in close proximity” to each other (East Link in Clarington and West Link in Whitby)?
26.Why do we need north/south links – doesn’t the east/west mainline address future transportation needs?
27. Why doesn’t the Province just build the transit component of 407East?
28. Why wasn’t Lakeridge Road chosen for the West Link? Details on the evaluation can be found as the part of the Alternative Methods Report contained on our website. It should be noted that should Lakeridge Road have been chosen as the route for the West Link, the Lakeridge Road right-of-way itself would have had to have been replaced somewhere else in the Study Area. This would have resulted in additional impacts. These impacts were included as part of the assessment of each of the route alternatives in this area. It should also be noted that Lakeridge Road and the future freeway link serve different functions from a transportation perspective. One transportation corridor could not satisfy Provincial, Regional and local objectives.
29. What is the transit corridor and when will it be used?
30. With the 407East corridor in place, will Highway 401 or Highway 7 still need to be widened?
31. Portions of the Technically Recommended Route (TRR) travel through the Greenbelt. Is this permitted?
32. Will the entire 407East corridor be constructed at one time? Is there a staging plan?
33. How will natural environmental impacts be addressed?
34. Have all of the environmental impacts been taken into account?
35. Will the 407East Corridor result in commercial development along its length?
36. I have seen people surveying in the field. What is going on?
37. Will there be an interchange on Highway 401 with Lakeridge Road?
38. I am having an issue with my transponder! I would like to speak with someone about my bill. This site is to provide material and opportunities for public participation in the 407 Environmental Assessment – a Study to determine the best method of addressing transportation issues through Durham Region. The 407ETR is not involved in this environmental assessment study.
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