February 5, 2009

Ministry of Transportation(MTO)
Southwestern Region
Charles Organ
Project Manager
Planning and Design Section
London Ontario

Totten Sims Hubicki Associates(TSH)

Brenda Jamieson
Project Manager

Commentary, in response to the proposed Highway 7&8 re-alignment options and issues.
(http://www.7and8corridorstudy.ca/contact_us.html)

Based on a thorough assessment of the proposed 7&8 re-alignment options, as proposed

by MTO staff & TSH and a thorough assessment of the competent and exhaustive studies
released by the Agricultural Business Community(ABC) of Perth and Wilmot
(http://hwy7and8.blogspot.com/), it’s a simple and intelligent conclusion that there is
absolutely no requirement for any alternative corridors to move vehicle traffic between
Stratford and Wilmot.

There are already 3 existing East/West vehicle traffic corridors presently existing in the
study area between Stratford and New Hamburg; Existing hwy 7&8, Pork St. and Vivian
St. These corridors have been in place since at least 1832 and currently provide 6 lanes of
travel between Stratford and New Hamburg. These corridors are capable of being
upgraded for relatively minimal cost compared to building a completely new corridor, or
shorter bypass corridors around specific areas like Shakespeare.
Presently, the bulk of East/West traffic uses Hwy 7&8 and due to past and present safety
issues with the current 2 lane incarnation, it would be appropriate for the current 7&8 to
be upgraded to a 4 or 5 lane highway. This could include 2 travel lanes on each side and
one 4 meter wide center lane that acts as a buffer zone and also for left turns and merging
traffic from access points.
Due to the narrow width of the corridor through Shakespeare, it would require the
highway to be narrowed to 3 lanes(2 travel & 1 center turning lane) for approx. 1 km.

There have been concerns raised about the need to bypass Shakespeare, because of the
narrow corridor through the village. However, a very effective bypass route is already in
place via. the Pork St. corridor.
This corridor simply needs to be upgraded to provincial standards between Perth Road
107 and Punkeydoodles Corners and linked properly to Highway 7&8 Via
Wilmot/Easthope Road #1.
Essentially, modernizing existing corridors is a simple, cheap and effective solution to a
decades old problem.
Cont’d next page
It’s safe to say that the estimated cost to taxpayers would be in the range of $150 million
to $200 million to upgrade the existing Pork St. and Hwy 7&8. This compares very
favorably with an estimated $500 million to $1 Billion + it will cost to build new
corridors and infrastructure for the proposed alternative routes/bypasses. The proposed
alternative corridors simply aren’t appropriate, justified or needed(see ABC reports).
Large amounts of money will be saved using existing corridors because much of the
required engineering, routing and drainage infrastructure is already in place.

It has generally been acknowledged by Perth & Wilmot residents and travelers that
regularly use 7&8 for over 40 years now, that there needs to be upgrades made to the
current 7&8 corridor between Stratford and New Hamburg. It is also well known that the
MTO has been formally aware of this issue for a similar amount of time.

Given the history of these issues re. Hwy 7&8, it’s now time some questions are
officially and publicly raised: Given the billions of dollars funded to the MTO every year
for both operating and capital expenditures and given the numerous studies already
compiled by the MTO about the 7&8 corridor over the past 40 years; How many more
costly ‘studies’ of 7&8 will be done at taxpayer expense, attempting to solve problems
that everyone has known the answers to for 40 years?
At what point do we stop funding MTO navel gazing & lint assessment programs and
start witnessing actual capital improvements to the 7&8 corridor?
Do we have to wait another 40 years?

As taxpayers of Perth & Wilmot and Ontario, we have to assess whether we are getting
good value for the billions of dollars set aside to fund administrative bodies which are in
place to address the needs of the public. The past and current handling of the issue of
Hwy 7&8 by the MTO administrative body is raising many questions about whether tax
payers are getting value for their money in this regard.

Brian Knechtel
Shakespeare Ontario

CC
ABC, Perth & Wilmot
John Wilkinson MPP Perth Wellington
Jim Bradley, Minister of Transport
Waterloo Region Record
Stratford Beacon Herald
New Hamburg Independent