The province's plan to streamline the regulatory process, to get key transit projects and infrastructure built, got the stamp of approval from Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti, who said the move is necessary to tackle traffic congestion in the region.

Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney announced the Ford government’s proposal to speed up environmental assessments and land expropriations for major transit projects during her Feb. 6 address to the Economic Club of Canada at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel.

If passed, the new legislation and regulatory changes expected to be tabled at Queen’s Park in two weeks would “enable us to build transit faster by getting shovels in the ground sooner,” Mulroney said.

Applicable only to the province’s four priority transit projects in the GTA — the Ontario Line, Yonge North subway extension, Scarborough extension and Eglinton West LRT — Mulroney said the intent is to improve the efficiency of approvals, rather than a blanket relaxation of current environmental protections.