11 | O akville B eaver | T hursday,N ovem ber 14,2019 insidehalton.com As our communities be- come more connected through the collection of da- ta, artificial intelligence and technology, it is vital that we are prepared for the busi- ness climate of the future. To that end, the chamber is en- couraging the Town of Oak- ville to develop a strategy for urban mobility and trans- portation planning. More- over, it is crucial that this strategy is aligned with the town's Economic Develop- ment Strategy to ensure that the needs of the business community are top priority. Transportation infra- structure and congestion re- mains a top concern for the Oakville community. Con- gestion on roads is a barrier to business, and members cite that Oakville does not have the road infrastructure for the development it needs.for the development it needs.f Additionally, Oakville's eco- nomic growth is an impor- tant factor in the success of the Greater Toronto Hamil- ton Area. According to the provin- cial Ministry of Finance, the Greater Toronto Area's (GTA) population is project- ed to increase from 6.9 mil- lion in 2017 to 9.7 million in 2041. Halton is projected to be the fastest-growing census division in Ontario over the projection period, with growth of 56.2 per cent to 2041. Similarly, our economy is growing. Currently, accord- ing to the town's Draft Eco- nomic Development Strate- gy our local economy sup- ports approximately 116,300 jobs, and between 2013 and 2018 the local economy grew by 9,763 jobs. However, 64 per cent of residents are com- muting to jobs outside of Oakville, with most com- muting to jobs in Toronto, Mississauga and Burlington. Oakville is a net importer of labour, with companies at- tracting a total of 65 per cent of workers from outside of Oakville. This indicates an opportunity to attract the lo- cal resident labour market into Oakville employment opportunities. Increased employment growth, as well as population growth, is positive for our lo- cal economy. However, it al- so underlines the chamber's call for building a resilient transportation network that works for all modes of trans- portation to supply the movement of goods and peo- ple. That's why the chamber is calling on the town to en- gage with chamber business and industry leaders. Due in large part to local businesses - such as those in automotive and information and tech- nology sectors - that are lead- ing the way, Oakville is well- positioned to become a lead- er in automated and con- nected vehicle technology. Oakville is not alone in needing to explore this space. Researchers and aca- demics working in the field of connected and autono- mous vehicles have strong relationships with their counterparts, paralleled by discussion between provin- cial and federal govern- ments and information- sharing between municipal- ities. It is important that as a community we engage with our local talent as well as reach out to other jurisdic- tions, including those with similar structures and simi- lar environments. This underscores the need for the town to develop a working group of stake- holders. Working with busi- nesses and a broad set of stakeholders is essential to foster employment and in-foster employment and in-f vestment growth. Cross-sec- tor collaboration is essential for competitiveness. Thisfor competitiveness. Thisf cannot be done in isolation. Innovation is also key to our community's success surrounding the urban mo- bility and transportation planning strategy. The chamber believes that the strategy needs to incorpo- rate a plan on innovation that includes partnering with the business and tech community, and piloting projects that drive smart city initiatives. Finally, the Oakville Chamber strongly encour- ages the town to develop a strategy for urban mobility and transportation planning that ensures town policies, programs and activities cre- ate an attractive climate for business investment and job creation for economic growth as well as a transpor- tation network that makes the movement of goods and people a priority. On behalf of the chamber members we will look for- ward to working with the town on this important ini- tiative and we will be stri- dent in our efforts for re- sults. Faye Lyons is vice presi- dent of government rela- tions and advocacy at the Oakville Chamber of Com- merce. OPINION CHAMBER ENCOURAGES INFRASTRUCTURE READINESS PREPARE FOR FUTURE BUSINESS CLIMATE, WRITES FAYE LYONS FAYE LYONS Column