Bill 303 explained in plain English
Clean Trains Now Act, 2021
Ontario legislature bill summary, status, timeline, sponsor, votes, and official sources.
At a glance
Official Legislative Assembly of Ontario snapshot for 42nd 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 Clean Trains Now Act, 2021, mandates the creation of a committee to review and recommend improvements for the Union Pearson Express, focusing on electrification, fare integration, and capacity expansion.
Bill 303, also known as the Clean Trains Now Act, 2021, amends the Metrolinx Act, 2006. It requires the establishment of a committee to review the Union Pearson Express (UP Express) passenger transportation system. This committee must make recommendations on a plan, timeline, and funding for the UP Express to transition to electrification, integrate fares with Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) fares for a two-hour period, and increase its capacity. The committee must consult with various groups, including the public, and report its findings to the Corporation and the Minister. The Minister must then table this report in the Legislative Assembly and inform the Assembly of their proposed actions in response. The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- Requires the Corporation to establish the Union Pearson Express Review Committee within 60 days of the Act receiving Royal Assent.
- Defines the composition of the committee, including representatives from the City of Toronto, TTC, transit workers, planners, engineers, the construction industry, and public transit users.
- States that the Lieutenant Governor in Council may prescribe remuneration and expenses for committee members through regulation.
- Outlines the committee's mandate to recommend a plan, timeline, and funding estimates for:
- Transitioning the UP Express from diesel to electric power.
- Implementing full fare integration with TTC fares for up to two hours on a single fare, at no more than the regular TTC fare cost.
- Increasing UP Express capacity by potentially improving service frequency, train capacity, number of stations, or track/station modifications.
- Requires the committee to consult with residents, transit users, and workers in areas served by the UP Express, as well as any other relevant persons or entities.
- Mandates the committee to submit its recommendations in a report to the Corporation within six months of its establishment and provide a copy to the Minister.
- Requires the Minister to table the committee's report in the Legislative Assembly within 30 days of receiving it.
- Requires the Minister to inform the Legislative Assembly of their proposed actions in response to the committee's recommendations within 60 days of tabling the report.
- The Corporation (presumably Metrolinx)
- Members of the Union Pearson Express Review Committee
- The Minister responsible for Metrolinx
- The Legislative Assembly of Ontario
- The City of Toronto
- The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC)
- Transit workers
- Public transit users in the Greater Toronto Area
- Residents in the areas through which the Union Pearson Express operates
- Persons who work in the areas through which the Union Pearson Express operates
- Transportation engineers
- The construction industry
- The public
- The Corporation has a duty to establish the Union Pearson Express Review Committee.
- Committee members' remuneration and expenses may be prescribed by regulation.
- The committee has a mandate to make specific recommendations.
- The committee must consult with specified groups.
- The committee must report its recommendations within six months.
- The Minister must table the report in the Legislative Assembly.
- The Minister must inform the Assembly of proposed actions in response to the recommendations.
- The Act comes into force on the day it receives Royal Assent.
- The Corporation must establish the committee within 60 days after the Act receives Royal Assent.
- The committee must provide its report within six months after it is established.
- The Minister must table the report within 30 days after receiving it.
- The Minister must inform the Assembly of proposed actions within 60 days after tabling the report.
- The committee's mandate includes making recommendations on funding estimates for the UP Express.
- The Lieutenant Governor in Council may prescribe remuneration and payment of expenses for committee members by regulation, which would have financial implications.
- The specific criteria for selecting committee members beyond the listed representative groups are not detailed.
- The specific amounts of remuneration and expenses for committee members are not detailed, as they are subject to regulation.
- The Act does not specify what happens if the committee fails to submit its report within the six-month timeframe or if the Minister fails to respond within the specified periods.
- The details of the "plan, timeline and funding estimates" that the committee must recommend are not elaborated upon beyond the three main goals (electrification, fare integration, capacity).
- The Act does not specify the process or criteria for the Minister's proposed actions in response to the committee's recommendations.
Adds a new section (8.1.1) to establish the Union Pearson Express Review Committee and outline its duties, composition, mandate, consultation requirements, reporting procedures, and the Minister's response obligations.
Source: Section 1
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.
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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.
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