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2-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday November 26, 2002 Option broadened for mid-peninsula highway 2-L qICH A l)0 f)îf(I) The Champion Plans for a mid-peninsula highway are on the move. The Ministry of Transportation (MTO) announced Thursday il would broaden the end connection options 10 be sîudied during an environmental assessment 67f the proposed roadway. "We have consulted and lisîened 10 the public and municipali- ies," Minister of Transportation Norm Sterling said of the new options liaI. "Planning for transportottion infrastructure now will ensure our economie competitiveness in the future. We are conmmitted 10 building more efficient trade corridors that will case congestion and move people and goods more sately." The highway is currently proposed Io run from Niagara 10 optsios îiiont e itableIiii.ud c I',\, s 40 1 Ii\liiîî . 11i i iis s 3 Buringlon. A third option would sec the roadway connect with Hwy. 403, accompanied by the widening of Hwy. 403 through H-amilton and Burlington. An environmental assessment (EA> bas yet to be conducted for the proposed highway, leavîng the exact route and end connection undecided. A terms of reference for the EA is currently in devel- opment. The MTO originally priiposed the roadway connect 10 Hwy. 407, however several concemrs bave come forward related Io envi- ronmental issues of such a connection and ils impacts on Burlington. A connectioi o 1 Hwy. 6 was also discussed. Area MPP Ted Chudleigh praised the newest option to widen sm oPER MONTH FOR 60 MNH FOR$19.O'FOR AN ADITIONAL 13- PER MONTH GET AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION NEW STYLING ~ 2003 Toyota Echo $14,025 MSRP *AMFM sterA/CD wilh 44aes1 5 itre î A,16Vl, 33108 A OHCWIVT, lM1MI11 400 Steeles AVenue (next to Gorrud's Auto Group) 905 875-1700 (9 www.mlltonitoyota.com 0 ~~ ,A QC OftI 4gîa A4004, ,o, 4144 200112 47 ce lla,4iSt,4Agl4gli4,gA14amirei~llghI41i9Di ggglol160,341,260.1$10 lei lgtanPDE [o 451 lA '44R 444 ,, g 4 9% 4P, Hl,, g 1laII4,RAV Cly îl, Z144 71CM ,G2AP MA 434 HCA PSBE42KP7 A 4 ýd,11A11 '.ý4AIkmy 4l4la, et 2% eh EI{(Mde[ B123M8A o, 112P De . , $979 1969 W i353S3999 4 lI l4 fol4aM ila,eoýAloo13444 S2682 $9216?,19937 iAt78$19025l4i524lgi4A 91îlAAIl4 2AIill4I4Ia4phul44SAlIlMIî4415$151950lh 13,1520 $5 7 A $1801AS 4 SA} i8512 10 i 444414,i lS 140 .0111443.4,ca 53515044233 $32434 $7434 41 W2014 $i114 li r 15,025 F, 11awcrle M 000 ai U $6 60434'25 o A à ,11 CI iOîlîlOii5i 'îgîl g ,i 14l2l24ii151% M rRg, hl,111KmAAM 0AI'li3 8118A4No 35 J 9 SW 0 I 9 59598S' 1I I' 1 l 3, I Aî C0B7 7 0 41225 2*$l57 746 7 , aioa oi gîy .01g2078 0T2125 41S21 5 îlIl461 Te Toota Sierawsihelgeirc'5 î mtVa l the44 j40A4 riverrtA I ,,2000 2002 - I 1141.41131 84 îgg33 ,40h1 I g'îl,143/l 39,1111 IAIg g'3 1,~~~~~~~~~~~~3 -13.4.1.,.gIll",C411 44AM4lAy'IMî4î84l4î54 L EASE FOR $299."' PER MONTH FOR 48 MONTHS WITH $4979 DW 2003 Toyota Sienna CE-pt5 $29,335 MSRP L EASE FOR $369.10 PER MONTH FOR 48 MONTHS WITH $4969 DOWN 2003 Toyota Highlander $32,330 MSRP g WD Ac A P- MM,ôw, ýk ý,P, PER MONTH FOR 48 MONTHS WITH $3999 DOWN 2003 Toyota Camry LE $24,800 MSRP -.2AA4 A L itr,4y dr.57 HP VT i ng 4speda tmlc hoe.r v .A, c d,tonAg. AMIFM cset C wtA56.FAks . CuAA cotrA Ti teering -Pwe wiclm $kS& aAArs .6OAOVItfI =y ,%M AA .sy. h nti PER MONTH FOR 48 MONINS WITH $3909 OOWN FOR AN ADDITIONAL '15' FER MONTH GE UTMc RANSMSSIO1 2003 Toyota Rîîî,îî4 $27,400OMSRP'0513Pî 2 0 ,111, ,14833HP , 114111gn. 5 s41 a11 a l trasi ssion1144 .41Air14411in 164' Alîîî"' 1441414,4441114- CuAIIAAIIIAI *PAIAIII 2OA 441AMIPMIICD MP3 11411 1,441 134P 14443illîlA ke 11 llll 41y 343 1A4* S r iAS t11 11 1 s411 111m444î -I has a wholc bunch of otber bOnuLses lJoi the Li it fHamîtlon - is pretiy jammed up there now during rush hour," he told The Champion. "If you expanded il (Hwy. 403>, il could be useful t0 Hamilton and also usetul as a second alternative 10 get t0 the Peninsula other than relying on the Skyway." Mayor Gord Krantz called the new options lisi "interesting." saying both counicil and Town staff will monitor the EA process closely. -Wherever theres new roads, usually iheres other things thai follow aid you have Io be prepared lor thai. When you start open- ing up new areas of a community, il certainly does have long- range impacts on growth," he said. "There are a lot of unknowns at this point in time. This may he just another test balloon. They (Province) secm to be sending up quite a few of themn to get public reaction." Last week, the Milton administration and planning committee defied a MTO request 10 select a preferred end connection option. lnstead, the committee endorsed a motion calling for an expanded transportation plan that includes rail and other mass transit initia- tives. Town counicil was expected to address the committee motion last night, but furiher information was unavailable as of press tîme. Regional council to have final say of police budget from HALTON on page 1 -1 think Iis is just wrong," said Mr. Taylor. "Very regrettable.~ ChiefîAgar said a number of police associations are challenging the Province on Ibis issue. "Justices deserve protection. but we dont sec thîs as core polie- îng. Hopefully we'll sec some movement trom the govemment.- he said. Board members had other concems as well. such as the $1 mil- lion earmarked for facility improvements (like the dilapidated 2 Division station on White Oaks Boulevard in Oakville) that was withdrawn from the budget in order to keep the 8.95 per cent increase from ballooning to 10.9 per cent. The problem, main- tained Mr. Taylor, is that tbis sort of strategy only delays the finan- cial pain 10 subsequent years. "This is a people-driven business, but we can't bave l0Oto 12 per cent budgets ad infinitum," he said. Mr. Brewer, who said policing bas 10 adbere to the kind of economies now ingrained in private enterprise, added that the police service bas 10 fmnd ways to carry out their mandate "better and cheaper." "The number of people can't keep going up forever," he said. "It bas to stop somewbere." Added Mr. Bird, "We can't continue 10 merrily do what we did in the past." The 2003 budget must now go 10 regional councîl, but as il stands now, il would coat the average bousehold 5.6 per cent more than lasI year, or $322 in total, for policing. This il based on a $5. 1 -million cost increase over 2002, $4.9-million of which is siat- ed for personnel. To back up the necd for Ibis increase, Chief Algar took pains 10 explain the enormous pressures on the force, which make the jump vital. The moît recent statisties show Halton officers responding to 95,000 calîs for service a year, 18,000 of which are criminal offences. Some local investigations, especially homicides, are far from over upon arrest, said Chief Algar, and continue to be expensive drains on staffmng as the court process commences. The 2000 murder of Oakville's Gordon Humphreys, for exam- pIe, consumed $ 100,000 and more than 3,000 hours of investiga- tive ime. The current trial for Projeet Phantom, which busted up a $20- million GST fraud ring, could take as long as six months, said Chief Algar, a case that further illustrates the demanda on bis offi- cers. Combating ongoing marijuana growing operations is like- wise a monumental task. Stafflng is further strained by the loss of 15-plus officers who are annually seconded to inter-jurisdictional investigations - biker gangs, child pomn, etc. - that do reap benefits but erode the day- to-day operational strength on local streets.