Thursday, March 08, 2007
A Punch In The Nose For Gridlock
Posted by: Glen Stone
Nearly a BILLION dollars. That's how much the federal government is investing in public transit in the Toronto region.
The Board of Trade and others have been saying for years that Ottawa must step up to the plate with investments of this size, and we issued a media release that praised all governments involved.
However ...
One-time, project-driven funding - no matter how big - is not going to do the trick when it comes to solving the traffic congestion problem. That's going to require an extra billion dollars EVERY YEAR, and strategic planning at both the national and provincial level to make sure that money is spent in the smartest way (we talk about this stuff in more detail in our provincial and federal budget submissions).
Sure, it's hard to look a gift horse in the mouth, particularly when the gift horse is the size of an elephant. But the Board of Trade's job is to stand up for the best interests of Toronto's business community, even when that might get some politicians or others mad at us.
So, thanks very much for the billion dollars! Now, let's talk about a real, strategic, permanent solution ...
Glen Stone is Public Affairs Manager for the Toronto Board of Trade
Nearly a BILLION dollars. That's how much the federal government is investing in public transit in the Toronto region.
The Board of Trade and others have been saying for years that Ottawa must step up to the plate with investments of this size, and we issued a media release that praised all governments involved.
However ...
One-time, project-driven funding - no matter how big - is not going to do the trick when it comes to solving the traffic congestion problem. That's going to require an extra billion dollars EVERY YEAR, and strategic planning at both the national and provincial level to make sure that money is spent in the smartest way (we talk about this stuff in more detail in our provincial and federal budget submissions).
Sure, it's hard to look a gift horse in the mouth, particularly when the gift horse is the size of an elephant. But the Board of Trade's job is to stand up for the best interests of Toronto's business community, even when that might get some politicians or others mad at us.
So, thanks very much for the billion dollars! Now, let's talk about a real, strategic, permanent solution ...
Glen Stone is Public Affairs Manager for the Toronto Board of Trade
// posted by Toronto Board of Trade @ 2:47 PM 
Comments:
<< Home
Hi Glen,
The blog is really interesting.
I just wanted to drop by and thank you for yesterday's presentation at Humber. You touched on so many useful insights into the industry and provided some great lessons from your experience.
Thanks again,
Dan Howe
The blog is really interesting.
I just wanted to drop by and thank you for yesterday's presentation at Humber. You touched on so many useful insights into the industry and provided some great lessons from your experience.
Thanks again,
Dan Howe
Hello Glen,
Quite honestly, I feel that the BOT's talk about gridlock has been counter productive. I work downtown, and traffic is getting lighter over the last 10 years, not more congested. Where there is congestion is at crossing points into the 905 areas. I am sure you are aware that starting about 6 years ago Toronto became a net source of labor for the 905 region. "The 2006 tally of cars travelling designated roads in Toronto and surrounding region shows non-traditional commutes are increasingly the norm with relatively fewer cars heading into the city's core, or central business district, and more of us heading to jobs in the suburbs or the 905 communities, often skirting Toronto's borders altogether."
I frequently hear city officials cite the BOT's concerns on congestion as a reason to increase transit spending. In reality it is a waste of money.
As long as the tax climate that is killing jobs in Toronto remains, increasing service to a decreasingly job dense area is ridiculous. And as the the Corus building on the lake front shows us, if you build it, it does not make people come.
Best,
Glen
http://www.southofsteeles.blogspot.com/
Post a Comment
Quite honestly, I feel that the BOT's talk about gridlock has been counter productive. I work downtown, and traffic is getting lighter over the last 10 years, not more congested. Where there is congestion is at crossing points into the 905 areas. I am sure you are aware that starting about 6 years ago Toronto became a net source of labor for the 905 region. "The 2006 tally of cars travelling designated roads in Toronto and surrounding region shows non-traditional commutes are increasingly the norm with relatively fewer cars heading into the city's core, or central business district, and more of us heading to jobs in the suburbs or the 905 communities, often skirting Toronto's borders altogether."
I frequently hear city officials cite the BOT's concerns on congestion as a reason to increase transit spending. In reality it is a waste of money.
As long as the tax climate that is killing jobs in Toronto remains, increasing service to a decreasingly job dense area is ridiculous. And as the the Corus building on the lake front shows us, if you build it, it does not make people come.
Best,
Glen
http://www.southofsteeles.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]
<< Home
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]