Transportation

Shocker: GTA Traffic Getting Worse

By Jason Leach
Published January 10, 2010

Can anyone explain to me why news articles like this are printed anymore?

The Travel Time Study by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation, a mammoth 1,700-page document that helps guide planning for the province's major highways in the Golden Horseshoe, found that generally, congestion is getting worse, travel times are growing and drivers can count on long commutes more of the time.

We knew all of this 50 years ago when cities like Los Angeles allowed low-density growth 100 percent dependent on cars and roads, and with purely horrible options for transit or cycling.

This is old news.

City regions that actually care about being progressive and planning for a successful future started diversifying their transportation options and started building proper growth decades ago.

The real news story (that never seems to be printed) is how far behind the rest of the developed world the Golden Horseshoe is. We're an embarrassment to modern city-regions all over the First World.

Even our neighbours to the south, with their quirks and huge social problems, have at least taken a lead role in fixing bad cities and learning from past mistakes.

We continue to repeat their mistakes and then print news stories like this as if anyone should be surprised at the results.

We don't need scientists and researchers to tell us what is happening and will continue to happen with lousy development patterns and zero political leadership.

Jason Leach was born and raised in the Hammer and currently lives downtown with his wife and children. You can follow him on twitter.

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By Jonathan Dalton (registered) | Posted January 11, 2010 at 09:38:17

Traffic is bad? Who knew? I always laugh at these articles and the extreme examples they come up with. Like the guy who drives for 3 hours to get to Toronto - uh, maybe Grimsby wasn't the best move then?

Also this article is pretty defeatist, like no mention of Lakeshore line electrification or all day GO service to Hamilton.

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By race_to_the_bottom (anonymous) | Posted January 11, 2010 at 09:44:29

"Also this article is pretty defeatist"

Yah it talks about traffic like nothing else exists in the universe, just roads and cars clogging them. What a disappointment of journalism, it's like they didn't even bother.

Maybe it's turning into a macho thing - the fact that commute driving sucks makes it even more popular by attaching status to how long/hard the commute is. This article would play into that instead of pointing out alternatives (like transit and, um, not living three freaking hours from where you work).

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By East Ender (anonymous) | Posted January 11, 2010 at 11:44:15

Not that I support destroying the valley, but did anyone see the headline in the Spec last week giving the Red Hill Mopway credit for economic benefits to the area? What is that about?

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By jason (registered) | Posted January 11, 2010 at 12:09:01

east ender, I think folks in the 'inner circle' like the people at Carmens (wonderful folks by the way...had my wedding reception there) are expected to say things like that. I wouldn't read too much into it. The hotel is going there because of Carmens, not because of a Centennial Pkwy bypass road.

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By Skeptic (anonymous) | Posted January 12, 2010 at 16:55:17

Jason, your logic is just not that impressive....the 'bypass' has brought business and opportunity to Hamilton's east end...I did a lot of shopping this Christmas at Best Buy, Pet Smart, the book store, and had coffee at Starbucks. I also saw movies in the theatre....all facilitated by the transportation hub.

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By jason (registered) | Posted January 12, 2010 at 18:06:25

I wasn't aware that Best Buy, Pet Smart, Indigo and Starbucks had opened in Hamilton's east end along with a new movie theatre.

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By everywhere (anonymous) | Posted January 19, 2010 at 09:13:01

I'm actually curious where this new place is located. What road is good by cycle?
Is this Mountain Rd?

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