Peel Region, along with Brampton and Caledon, have given the green light on a $100,000 study that will deal with transportation requirements brought on by population growth.

The study will focus on the development of a long-term transportation network to support municipal planning goals, identify the best ways to connect between Hwy. 427 and municipal roads, and serve future demands in the southern Peel-York boundary area.

Residents are invited to a public consultation meeting slated for April 9, between 6 and 9 p.m. at St. Patrick Separate School, 11948 The Gore Rd., right at Mayfield Road.

"We want to hear from the public what their concerns are and what they are hoping to see happen by way of transportation improvements," said Murray McLeod, Peel transportation and planning services official. " It (northeast Brampton) is going to be a huge growth area in the future and it is important to get input from residents."

The joint study will be carried out through an open public process that is in accordance with the provincial Municipal Class Environmental Assessment (EA) process.

The process will define problems and evaluate alternative solutions in a bid to establish "an optimum transportation system along the Peel-York boundary," transportation officials said.

A Transportation Master Plan document will be submitted to Peel, Brampton and Caledon councils for approval upon completion of the study.

"Our study essentially asks the question 'what is the best way to interconnect with the future extension of Hwy. 427," explained McLeod, noting there are two similar studies currently underway, one by the Ministry of Transportation and the other courtesy of York Region.

A number of years ago, Hwy. 427 was to be extended beyond Hwy 9 and up to Barrie.

McLeod said an environmental assessment for that project was in full swing when the current government made the decision to scrap the plan in favour of a Hwy. 427 that stops just short of the Oak Ridges Moraine, an area protected under provincial greenbelt legislation.

Subsequently, a new environmental assessment study was commissioned that considers a much shorter highway extension.

The section of Brampton impacted by the plan extends along Hwy. 50, ranging from The Gore Road in the west, Healey Road in the north and Castlemore Road in the south.

Officials will look primarily at arterial road improvements and transportation connections to Hwy. 427, McLeod said.

"We want to adopt a philosophy of transportation demand management," said McLeod adding the plan also focuses on maximizing transit use in that area. A carpool lot and GO Transit terminal is being considered for the Mayfield Road and Hwy. 50 area.

"A lot of what this study is about is finding better ways to distribute the current and future traffic growth on the network of arterial roads," McLeod continued.

Major roadwork has already occurred along the Brampton/Vaughan boundary.

Peel and York regions finalized a plan at the end of 2006 to widen Hwy 50, from Queen Street East to Castlemore Road, to six lanes.

Work on Hwy. 50-- a major roadway that connects our city with Vaughan and Caledon-- is scheduled to wrap up sometime this year.

As part of that project, both Brampton and Vaughan asked Ontario's transportation ministry (MTO) to dole out some cash toward the construction of a temporary arterial extension from Hwy. 427, at Hwy. 7, up to Fogal Road and Zenway Boulevard in Vaughan.

The purpose of establishing an interim arterial extension is to relieve some of the traffic on Hwy. 50 and Queen Street East (Hwy. 7).

York Region has to date constructed Zenway Boulevard from Hwy. 27 to Rainbow Creek Drive, and has plans to widen Fogal Road (Situated right off of Hwy. 50) to four lanes.

That roadway will intersect with the proposed arterial extension for Hwy 427. A second public consultation meeting is slated for the fall.