Ontario has promoted an $8.5 billion projected annual economic boost from expanding Billy Bishop airport by 2050, but no evidence has been provided to support the figure. The province has not confirmed whether it completed its own economic analysis, and the Toronto Port Authority says its economic impact study is still underway. Experts express skepticism that the benefits are overstated. The claimed benefits are central to the province’s rationale for overriding planning and environmental regulations, expropriating land from the city, and taking over the municipality’s role in a tripartite agreement governing the land. The province maintains expansion is needed as traffic at Toronto Pearson increases and says it would benefit the economy and travellers.
"Ontario has highlighted $8.5 billion as the projected annual economic boost an expanded Billy Bishop airport could provide by 2050, but weeks after first touting that claim, neither the province nor the Toronto Port Authority has provided any evidence to support it. The province won’t say if it’s done its own economic analysis, and a spokesperson for the port authority says its study of the economic impact is still underway. Several experts say they’re skeptical of the $8.5 billion figure and argue the potential economic benefits of expanding the airport are likely overblown."
"Yet these supposed benefits form a key part of the province’s rationale for moving to override planning and environmental regulations, expropriate land from the city and take over the municipality’s role in the tripartite agreement governing the land in a push to expand the airport and allow jets to take off. “The Ford government has an unfortunate tendency to announce big plans and big visions without having done any analysis,” said Sandford Borins, a retired professor of public management at the University of Toronto, who has studied airport planning."
"Ford says expanding the airport to allow jets would benefit the local economy, and provide travellers with more convenient options."
#airport-expansion #economic-impact-claims #regulatory-override #expropriation-and-land-governance #toronto-transportation
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