Toronto's war on cars

[marmar]

from the Toronto Sun:



Toronto's war on cars
Toronto drivers spend roughly two work-weeks per year stuck in traffic on the city's congested streets and highways. And it's going to get a lot worse ...

By JENNY YUEN, SUN MEDIA

Last Updated: 17th May 2009, 5:17am


Despite a massive, $50 billion transportation plan to improve road, rail and transit across the GTA over the next 25 years, there are no plans to make it easier for cars to move throughout the city.

Instead, Toronto's "anti-car" council has focused its spending almost exclusively on public transit, including a new $950 million light rail transit line along Sheppard Ave. E., and allocated relatively modest funds for a pedestrian and bike lane strategy.

"This city seems to be in a deliberate campaign against vehicles," said Councillor Denzil Minnan-Wong. "Our job is to provide solutions. We are becoming more of a problem."

It's city policy to put pedestrians, cyclists and transit ahead of automobiles as part of its integrated transportation plan. But despite an additional 10 million cars bought by North Americans each year, Toronto has no plan to accommodate the extra vehicles, said the city's manager of transportation services.

"We're trying to meet the needs of the future," said Gary Welsh. "There's going to be a lot more people travelling on the roads, on the public rights of way. We may not have the room to widen. We can't put more cars on the road."

The cost of the city's anti-car strategy isn't cheap. ........(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.torontosun.com/news/torontoandgta/2009/05/17/9483606-sun.html

[nxylas]

1. You have my bow