Growth and Transportation in Sourh West Ontario
Explosive economic growth across the Greater Toronto Area plus the sudden spurt of new subdivisions in towns and villages, prompts revival of a proposal for a Southern Georgin Bay Freeway.
Within a generation the motor replaced the horse. Soon the gasoline and diesel that fuels today's engines will be replaced. So, don't feel guilty about your present mobility; just be prepared to welcome clean electricity and non-polluting motive power -and support staking out a future trade corridor well north of Toronto, London and Woodstock.
Back in the 1950's many communities north of the GTA lost their rail connections and high schools. County and small town employment suffered as did maintenance of transportation infrastructure; provincial downloading ensured neglect of rural bridge maintenance.
Attempted highway incursions into the Green Belt have to be resisted. Ultimately, a new 400 series Freeway (together with new smart towns) have to be planned across the southern Georgian Bay region. Sadly our political system is slow to resolve such territorial situations. Over 5 years ago the Southern Georgian Bay/GTA proposal was envisioned to be planned & completed within 30 years.
With the success of home-based employment, many disgruntled office workers in the GTA minimize commutes by moving to underserviced Bruce, Grey, Perth and Simcoe counties. School Boards are unprepared for the influx of young families, as are small towns in provision of expanded infrastructure. Meanwhile, new industries and jobs continue locating along 400 series highways.
Planning a Toronto Area relief valve should have started over a decade ago. Farmers (who naturally dominate rural municipal councils) are generally not in favour of non-farm growth -even though their smart children have to migrate to big cities for university education and careers. Now, Ontario's Premier, with the support of Toronto's Mayor, blelives in a strong-mayor system.
Regardless, voter density being highest in the GTA, Queen's Park allocates blulk of new freeway projects to that congested juruisdiction. Yet, if GTA's rampant growth is to be curtailed, and if there is to be prosperity in South/Central Ontario, then there has to be long range planning of a 400 series highway across the Southern Georgian Bay region.
For the sake of good growth planning for both metropolitian areas and their neighbouring jurisdictions, let's kick-start planning a new freeway providing pressure relief to the GTA, while protecting the Green Belt.
Other voices: https://www.dw.com/en/danish-town-embraces-circular-economy-in-bid-to-go-green/a-62478930 The Danes know long term projects require long term comittiments; remember Avro Arrow's sudden cancellation by the new governing party leader. b>
UP-date #1- Globe & Mail Aug 11, 2022 "...mayors would have the authority to overrule council and veto an approved bylaw if it is deemed to conflict with "provincial priorities." This wouuld include a zoning by law to permit housing projects or other decisions related to the construction and maintenance of infrastructure that supports residential developments, such as transit and roads." b>br Translation: Big city mayor, in an end-run to unbridled growth, could expand housing and major highways across the Green Belt. b>br NOTE: b>br Old posts may be updated with new information; re-visit and comment -pro or con and relay to associates.
Within a generation the motor replaced the horse. Soon the gasoline and diesel that fuels today's engines will be replaced. So, don't feel guilty about your present mobility; just be prepared to welcome clean electricity and non-polluting motive power -and support staking out a future trade corridor well north of Toronto, London and Woodstock.
Back in the 1950's many communities north of the GTA lost their rail connections and high schools. County and small town employment suffered as did maintenance of transportation infrastructure; provincial downloading ensured neglect of rural bridge maintenance.
Attempted highway incursions into the Green Belt have to be resisted. Ultimately, a new 400 series Freeway (together with new smart towns) have to be planned across the southern Georgian Bay region. Sadly our political system is slow to resolve such territorial situations. Over 5 years ago the Southern Georgian Bay/GTA proposal was envisioned to be planned & completed within 30 years.
With the success of home-based employment, many disgruntled office workers in the GTA minimize commutes by moving to underserviced Bruce, Grey, Perth and Simcoe counties. School Boards are unprepared for the influx of young families, as are small towns in provision of expanded infrastructure. Meanwhile, new industries and jobs continue locating along 400 series highways.
Planning a Toronto Area relief valve should have started over a decade ago. Farmers (who naturally dominate rural municipal councils) are generally not in favour of non-farm growth -even though their smart children have to migrate to big cities for university education and careers. Now, Ontario's Premier, with the support of Toronto's Mayor, blelives in a strong-mayor system.
Regardless, voter density being highest in the GTA, Queen's Park allocates blulk of new freeway projects to that congested juruisdiction. Yet, if GTA's rampant growth is to be curtailed, and if there is to be prosperity in South/Central Ontario, then there has to be long range planning of a 400 series highway across the Southern Georgian Bay region.
For the sake of good growth planning for both metropolitian areas and their neighbouring jurisdictions, let's kick-start planning a new freeway providing pressure relief to the GTA, while protecting the Green Belt.
Other voices: https://www.dw.com/en/danish-town-embraces-circular-economy-in-bid-to-go-green/a-62478930 The Danes know long term projects require long term comittiments; remember Avro Arrow's sudden cancellation by the new governing party leader. b>
UP-date #1- Globe & Mail Aug 11, 2022 "...mayors would have the authority to overrule council and veto an approved bylaw if it is deemed to conflict with "provincial priorities." This wouuld include a zoning by law to permit housing projects or other decisions related to the construction and maintenance of infrastructure that supports residential developments, such as transit and roads." b>br Translation: Big city mayor, in an end-run to unbridled growth, could expand housing and major highways across the Green Belt. b>br NOTE: b>br Old posts may be updated with new information; re-visit and comment -pro or con and relay to associates.
Well done Jim (: Wasn't so aware of the growth issues in these rural areas. Started doing a little google research and came across an article about all the growth that is happening in Markdale:
ReplyDelete"A new $66-million hospital is in the works and multiple subdivisions are being built by developers who say their hundreds of homes are being snapped up by young families from southwestern Ontario cities. There’s been more development in Markdale in the past year than in the last 30, according to the town’s mayor, and it shows no sign of slowing down."
We definitely need to be thinking about the future of transportation and how these small towns plan to handle such an influx of young families. Here is the link for the article on Markdale:
https://globalnews.ca/news/8385644/canada-small-town-boom/