Airport Employment Zone Coalition welcomes Premier Ford for a roundtable discussion about the economic benefit of transit connectivity in 2nd largest employment zone in Canada

TORONTO, Nov. 29, 2019 /CNW/ - Today, the Airport Employment Zone (AEZ) Coalition welcomed Premier Ford to Toronto Pearson to discuss the importance of transit connectivity in the employment lands around the airport, notably the prioritization of the Eglinton Crosstown West Extension to Toronto Pearson.

The AEZ Coalition represents broad spectrum of employers, industries, labour groups, academic institutions and other organizations. This roundtable provided the opportunity for Coalition members to share with the Premier why better transit is crucial for their success.

The Coalition welcomed the leadership demonstrated by the Province with the recent Ontario-Toronto transit agreement and announcement of four priority transit projects, including Eglinton Crosstown West Extension. This partnership between municipal and provincial levels of government is encouraging as the AEZ requires this type of coordination to bridge the gaps between the local transit providers of the three municipalities the zone straddles.

The AEZ is the second largest employment zone in Canada, home to more than 300,000 jobs across the municipalities of Brampton, Mississauga, and Toronto. Enabling more transit connectivity in the zone will enable employers located around the airport to more easily attract and retain employees from across the region, ensure that the jobs in the AEZ are not out of reach for workers, and reduce road congestion, meaning goods can reach shelves faster.

A second major GTA transit hub– dubbed Union Station West – located at Toronto Pearson would anchor current and future higher-order transit and local bus network within the AEZ, directly connecting the region, including: Mississauga, Brampton, Kitchener-Waterloo, York, Markham, and Durham.

Today, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), a member of the AEZ Coalition, announced its intention to partner with Metrolinx to jointly fund studies to advance the technical work necessary to extend the Eglinton Crosstown West from Renforth to the airport. This commitment is an example of the partnership role that private organizations can take in transit planning with government.

Coalition members recently participated in the GTAA's stakeholder listening series to explore important regional transit connectivity opportunities, including the necessary last-mile transit connection within the AEZ that may be made possible by the future Union Station West. The report, available at torontopearson.com/transit, not only outlines the challenges currently faced by businesses in the AEZ, but also identifies the need for all stakeholders, public and private to play a role to ensure the necessary investments in ground connectivity to the zone are made.

About the Airport Employment Zone Coalition
The Airport Employment Zone (AEZ) Coalition represents a broad spectrum of employers, industries, labour groups, academic institutions and other organizations that operate in the employment lands surrounding Toronto Pearson. Members include the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), Humber College, Woodbine Entertainment, the Greater Toronto Hotels Association (GTHA), Malton BIA, Partners in Project Green by the Toronto Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), the Toronto Airport Workers Council (TAWC), and Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) representing the Airport Corporate Centre landowners.

As an alliance of like-minded organizations, the AEZ Coalition is dedicated to improving transit connectivity in the western Greater Toronto Area (GTA), for the companies that operate here, their employees and the residents next door.

The AEZ is the second largest employment zone in Canada, second only to downtown Toronto, and home to more than 300,000 jobs. The AEZ is an economic engine for the region, the province, and the country that acts as a significant employment, logistics, tourism, and education centre, anchored by Toronto Pearson International Airport.

For more information, please visit aezcoalition.com.

SOURCE Airport Employment Zone Coalition