Comment 2394

By Barry (anonymous) | Posted November 29, 2006 at 10:38:56

After three attempts I can't seem to register, so to heck with it.

What I never understand is the belief in some quarters that slowing auto traffic to a crawl will succeed in improving transit, encouraging liveable downtowns, or reduce the number cars on the road.

There are carrots, and there are sticks, and in this case the stick doesn't work.

Anyone who has sat through rush hour traffic in Toronto already knows that slowing cars to a crawl, increasing gas and parking prices, and generally making it painful to drive does not do anything to reduce automobile use.

What does work is building safe and comprehensive bike lanes - as in Ottawa - and building fast, frequent, and cheap transit.

If you make it easy to use alternate forms of transport people will do so. If you try to punish them for driving nothing will change except that drivers will get a little more angry.

The reasons why people don't use transit are pretty basic - it's not cheap, it's inconvenient in most cases, and a bus doesn't always accommodate real world needs.

Really this argument always seems to take on a moralistic tone, almost holier than thou, while ignoring the practical realities. That does nothing to advance the positive solutions.

If downtown Hamilton is being revitalized it's because property prices are very low, and people are moving in to take advantage of that dynamic.

No-one is buying gallery and storefront space because of one or two way streets.

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