Re: 'Warning: Traffic concerns need more than signs,' Editorial, May 23.
Both the Ward 23 (Willowdale) Councillor John Filion and The Mirror recognize a severe traffic congestion problem with the city intensification arising from the North York city centre.
The councillor sees the problem as a result of over development and the inappropriate Ontario Municipal Board decisions allowing increasing density without supporting infrastructure. He said he believes that warning signs might somehow curtail the increasing numbers of residents finding the North York city centre a desirable living area and mitigate a worsening situation.
The Mirror suggests that good solutions to this traffic problem must come from a range of improvements to transit modes. (But not said: as the Yonge subway line reaches capacity all of Toronto bears the cost of not extending the Sheppard line west of Yonge to connect to the Spadina line nor building an Eglinton Avenue West line, as city priorities.)
But somehow both messengers have missed the key weakness of the North York city centre (and now Sheppard Avenue East) urban development. The high density, and sustainable city needs compactness. That is, the places where we live, play and are entertained and buy need to be closer to where we work. So close that we can hop on a bike or just use a sidewalk for the high-peak traffic times. A long subway, car or bike ride competing with those north and south for a place on a roadway is not a viable solution under any smart growth strategy.
Neither North York city centre or Sheppard have sufficient workplaces (employment centres) built into the official planning. Nor has the Ontario government recognized that the city needs the power to direct and restrict residential development as well as make incentives and requirements for matching employment spaces to residential spaces in high-density areas.
Instead of smart growth and clear thinking to direct our city's building strategy, we see a reflection of muddling efforts across city council, the OMB and Queen's Park.
Traffic will worsen, time will be lost and pollution will increase until a workplace-residential relationship becomes intrinsic to the North York city centre and Sheppard East redevelopment zones both by plan and approved action. We cannot rely on market forces to deliver a liveable city.
Brian V. Ralph