Bill 212 explained in plain English
Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 43rd Parliament, 1st Session. Representative vote breakdowns appear when the Assembly publishes an Ayes and Nays page for the bill.
Our plain-language take, written for civic education.
Source: By PoliticalData.ca
The Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024 enacts new legislation and amends existing laws to expedite the construction of highways and broadband projects in Ontario.
The Reducing Gridlock, Saving You Time Act, 2024, enacted as law in Ontario, aims to speed up the construction of highways and broadband projects. It introduces new processes and amends existing laws to streamline highway development, including specific projects like Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass. The Act also makes changes related to broadband infrastructure, the towing industry, and traffic laws concerning bicycle lanes.
- Establishes the Building Highways Faster Act, 2024, to speed up the construction of priority highway projects.
- Enacts the Highway 413 Act, 2024, to manage the environmental assessment process for Highway 413.
- Amends the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021, to streamline expropriation processes for designated broadband projects.
- Amends the Highway Traffic Act to introduce new fees for driver's licences and examinations and to create new rules regarding bicycle lanes.
- Amends the Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021, to expand the application of restricted towing zones to include roadside assistance vehicles and services.
- Amends the Ministry of Infrastructure Act, 2011, regarding the disposition of expropriated easements.
- Repeals a section of Schedule 2 to the Get It Done Act, 2024.
- The Ministry of Transportation
- Utility companies
- Property owners affected by highway projects
- Municipalities
- Towing and roadside assistance service providers
- Drivers (regarding licensing and examination fees)
- Indigenous communities (regarding consultation for highway projects)
- The public (regarding commenting on environmental assessments)
- Telecommunications service providers
- Utility companies may be required to relocate their infrastructure for highway projects and are subject to compensation rules.
- Property owners may be subject to site inspections for highway project planning, design, or construction.
- Persons operating infrastructure must provide requested information to the Minister for highway projects.
- Municipalities have new obligations and restrictions regarding the construction and removal of bicycle lanes.
- Towing operators and roadside assistance providers must adhere to rules in restricted towing zones.
- Assignees of expropriated easements for broadband projects must reimburse the Crown for costs.
- Individuals and corporations can be subject to penalties for obstructing site inspections or taking possession of land for highway projects.
- The Act received Royal Assent on November 25, 2024.
- Most provisions of the Act come into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Some provisions in Schedule 2 (Building Highways Faster Act, 2024) and Schedule 5 (Towing and Storage Safety and Enforcement Act, 2021) come into force on a day to be named by proclamation of the Lieutenant Governor.
- New fees are established for driver's licences and certain driver examinations and tests.
- Utility companies may receive compensation for relocating their infrastructure for highway projects.
- Utility companies may be required to compensate the Minister for losses if they fail to relocate infrastructure as required.
- Municipalities may be reimbursed for reasonable costs incurred in providing support or information for the removal or reconfiguration of bicycle lanes.
- Assignees of expropriated easements for broadband projects must reimburse the Crown for expropriation costs.
- Property owners may be compensated for damages resulting from site inspections for highway projects.
- Offences are established for hindering, obstructing, or interfering with site inspections or the taking of possession of land for highway projects.
- Penalties for these offences include fines for individuals and corporations.
- Tampering with or destroying equipment used for site inspections is also an offence.
- The exact date when certain provisions of the Act will come into force is not specified, as it depends on proclamation by the Lieutenant Governor.
- The specific 'priority highway projects' beyond Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass will be determined by future regulations.
- Details regarding compensation for utility companies and property owners, as well as prescribed costs for easement assignees, may be further defined by regulation.
- The application of some sections of the Act may be subject to 'prescribed' conditions or circumstances, which are not detailed in the text provided.
- The specific bicycle lanes in Toronto subject to removal are identified (Bloor Street, University Avenue, and Yonge Street), but exemptions or modifications may be prescribed by regulation.
Changes rules about expropriating land for designated broadband projects, making certain provisions of the Expropriations Act not apply. It also allows the Minister to assign expropriated easements to certain entities and requires reimbursement of the Crown's costs.
Source: SCHEDULE 1
Changes rules so that dispositions made under section 26.2 of the Building Broadband Faster Act, 2021, do not require approval from the Lieutenant Governor in Council.
Source: SCHEDULE 1
Creates new rules to speed up the construction of priority highway projects, defining what constitutes a priority highway project, and establishing processes for utility infrastructure, site inspections, and the delivery of goods and services for highway construction. It also includes provisions regarding compensation for damages and outlines offences related to site inspections and taking possession of land.
Source: SCHEDULE 2
Certain sections related to hearings of necessity and adjustment of the date of possession do not apply to land expropriated for designated broadband projects or priority highway projects.
Source: SCHEDULE 1, SCHEDULE 2
Establishes a process for the environmental assessment of Highway 413, exempting the project and related early works from the Environmental Assessment Act. It outlines requirements for Indigenous consultation, public comment, and the publication of environmental impact assessment reports and addenda. It also restricts carrying out the project except in accordance with the final assessment report.
Source: SCHEDULE 3
Exempts the Highway 413 Project, its early works, and related activities from the Act's requirements.
Source: SCHEDULE 3
Adds a new Part XII.1 concerning bicycle lanes, requiring municipal approval for certain bicycle lane constructions, allowing the Minister to review existing lanes, and mandating the removal of specific bicycle lanes in Toronto. It also introduces new fees for driver's licences and examinations and allows for fee reductions, refunds, or exemptions.
Source: SCHEDULE 4
Expands the application of rules for restricted towing zones to include 'roadside assistance vehicles' and 'roadside assistance services'. It also modifies provisions related to tow certificate holders in restricted zones and transfers some regulation-making powers related to restricted zones to the Minister.
Source: SCHEDULE 5
Repeals section 3 of Schedule 2 of this Act.
Source: SCHEDULE 4
Generated using AI from official bill text. Not legal advice. It is written by PoliticalData.ca for civic education, automatically checked and spot-reviewed before publishing.
Official textProcess Snapshot
Vote Summary
Representative Voting Breakdown
Vote badges include text labels so the table stays readable for everyone, even without color cues alone.
| Representative | Role | Riding | Party | Vote | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MPP | Brampton West | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Windsor—Tecumseh | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Essex | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Scarborough—Agincourt | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Markham—Unionville | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Cambridge | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Simcoe—Grey | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Etobicoke—Lakeshore | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Richmond Hill | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Peterborough—Kawartha | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Scarborough Centre | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Newmarket—Aurora | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Mississauga—Malton | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Brampton East | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | York—Simcoe | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Brampton Centre | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Northumberland—Peterborough South | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Flamborough—Glanbrook | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Barrie—Springwater—Oro-Medonte | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Oxford | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Timmins | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Brampton North | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Parry Sound—Muskoka | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Simcoe North | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Thunder Bay—Atikokan | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Etobicoke Centre | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Haliburton—Kawartha Lakes—Brock | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Huron—Bruce | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Vaughan—Woodbridge | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Aurora—Oak Ridges—Richmond Hill | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | York Centre | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Kitchener—Conestoga | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Hamilton East—Stoney Creek | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Mississauga—Streetsville | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Stormont—Dundas—South Glengarry | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Pickering—Uxbridge | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Brampton South | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Scarborough North | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Elgin—Middlesex—London | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Niagara West | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | King—Vaughan | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Leeds—Grenville—Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Durham | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Chatham-Kent—Leamington | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Nipissing | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Scarborough—Rouge Park | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Milton | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Kitchener South—Hespeler | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Renfrew—Nipissing—Pembroke | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Thornhill | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Markham—Thornhill | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Whitby | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Perth—Wellington | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Ajax | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Hastings—Lennox and Addington | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Bruce—Grey—Owen Sound | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Sarnia—Lambton | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Eglinton—Lawrence | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Sault Ste. Marie | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Mississauga—Lakeshore | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Mississauga—Erin Mills | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Glengarry—Prescott—Russell | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Lambton—Kent—Middlesex | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Bay of Quinte | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Brantford—Brant | Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario | Yes | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Kitchener Centre | Green Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Scarborough—Guildwood | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Parkdale—High Park | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Waterloo | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Ottawa West—Nepean | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Spadina—Fort York | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Mushkegowuk—James Bay | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Niagara Centre | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | St. Catharines | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Oshawa | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | University—Rosedale | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Ottawa Centre | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Ottawa South | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Timiskaming—Cochrane | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Toronto Centre | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Thunder Bay—Superior North | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Davenport | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Beaches—East York | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Guelph | Green Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | Hamilton Mountain | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | London West | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Hamilton West—Ancaster—Dundas | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
MPP | MPP | Kiiwetinoong | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | Don Valley West | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
MPP | MPP | Kingston and the Islands | Ontario Liberal Party | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
| MPP | London North Centre | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. | |
| MPP | London—Fanshawe | New Democratic Party of Ontario | No | Recorded without an additional note. |
Official sources
Status, sponsor, votes, and timeline on this page are drawn from these official legislative sources and public records. Each summary above is attributed to its own source.
How this data is sourced