EXPLANATORY NOTE

The Transportation Systems Improvement Advisory Committee Act, 2017 requires the Minister of Transportation, the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services and the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police to establish an advisory committee to do the following:

    1.  Analyse highway incident management and to develop a comprehensive program for the improvement of highway incident management.

    2.  Inquire into and report on the system of accessible parking for persons with a disability.

    3.  Consider how to optimize the use of technology to make highways, roads and transportation infrastructure safer and more accessible.

The committee is to be established within 60 days after the Bill receives Royal Assent and must report its recommendations to the two Ministers within eight months of its establishment.  Within 60 days after receiving the committee's report, each Minister must inform the Assembly of the recommendations that he or she will implement.

Bill 136 2017

An Act to require the establishment of a Transportation Systems Improvement Advisory Committee

Her Majesty, by and with the advice and consent of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, enacts as follows:

Definitions

1 In this Act,

"committee" means the Transportation Systems Improvement Advisory Committee; ("comité")

"highway incident" means anything that disrupts the smooth flow of traffic and endangers drivers, emergency personnel, tow truck drivers, highway repair and maintenance workers and other persons on a highway, and includes a disabled vehicle, an accident, a spill, debris, a flood, a major special event and highway repair and maintenance activities; ("incident de la route")

"person with a disability" has the same meaning as in Regulation 581 of the Revised Regulations of Ontario, 1990 (Accessible Parking for Persons with Disabilities) made under the Highway Traffic Act. ("personne handicapée")

Transportation Systems Improvement Advisory Committee

2 (1)  The Minister of Transportation, the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services and the Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police shall, within 60 days after this Act receives Royal Assent, establish an advisory committee to be known as the Transportation Systems Improvement Advisory Committee in English and Comité consultatif d'amélioration des réseaux de transport in French,

  (a)  to analyse highway incident management and to develop a comprehensive program for the improvement of highway incident management;

  (b)  to inquire into and report on the system of accessible parking for persons with a disability; and

   (c)  to consider how to optimize the use of technology to make highways, roads and transportation infrastructure safer and more accessible.

Composition

(2)  The committee shall be composed of persons that the Ministers and Commissioner believe will make useful contributions to the committee's work including,

  (a)  persons with knowledge and expertise in highway incident management;

  (b)  persons representing organizations or entities with an interest in highway incident management, including municipalities, police forces, emergency medical services and other road users;

   (c)  persons with knowledge and expertise in accessibility matters;

  (d)  persons representing the interests of persons with a disability; and

  (e)  persons with technical knowledge and expertise in relevant technologies.

Remuneration and expenses of committee members

(3)  The Lieutenant Governor in Council may by regulation prescribe remuneration and payment of expenses for the committee members.

Report by committee

(4)  On or before the day that is eight months after the committee is established, the committee shall report to the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services on its work, and shall include in the report recommendations respecting the following:

    1.  Providing public education programs to improve driver behaviour in circumstances involving highway incidents.

    2.  Reducing the time for appropriate authorities to detect and verify highway incidents and to clear highways after the occurrence of highway incidents.

    3.  Providing timely and accurate information about highway incidents to drivers.

    4.  Enhancing the safety and security of Ontario's highways.

    5.  Developing a system of accessible parking for persons with a disability that is both economically feasible and fair to the interests of persons with a disability.

    6.  Using technology to optimize highway safety and accessibility.

Ministers to inform Assembly on implementation of committee's recommendations

(5)  On or before the day that is 60 days after the committee reports to the Ministers, the Minister of Transportation and the Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services shall each inform the Assembly of the recommendations in the report that he or she will implement.

Commencement

3 This Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.

Short title

4 The short title of this Act is the Transportation Systems Improvement Advisory Committee Act, 2017.