Quote:
Originally Posted by pausgree
Metro Vancouver has 2 major freeways: Highway 1 (TCH) servicing industrial areas of Burnaby as well as bringing traffic to the North shore & ferry terminals at Horseshoe Bay and Highway 99 coming up to the south side of Vancouver from the US border through Delta & Richmond. It has a 3rd minor freeway connecting Delta & Surrey. True, the main section of Vancouver does not have freewayscriss-crossing it but it does have several free-flowing viaducts & bridges to bring traffic to and from downtown.
Metro Toronto has built a MAJOR freeway out in the burbs, Highway 407.
Sure, freeways get congested during rush hours because motorists want to drive on them!!
Ask drivers in cities with freeways if they have any desire to revert to all lights & stop signs. C'mon, get real!
I
|
In terms of Vancouver, the freeways you talk about aren't in Vancouver proper (which has a population of around 100 000 less than Winnipeg). Other than the few viaducts, which are comparable to the Disraeli, there are very few interchanges in Vancouver proper.My point was that Vancouver itself prospers without freeways...
As for Toronto, the 407 is a TOLL FREEWAY. You have to pay to drive on it (which I think is a great idea, and the only realistic way cities can expect to continue to expand their freeway networks).
You dismiss congested freeways at rush hour? When else do you see Winnipeg roadways congested?????? Maybe on saturday at polo park, but that's about it... What is the point on spending hundreds of millions to build unnecessary roadways when the current system is under-capacity 90% of the time?
As for your last comment, during rush hour in Toronto, it's often faster to take routes that do have lights (bayview, mount pleasant) than take the DVP... The 401 and the Gardener are mainly used by people who commute to Toronto from Mississauga or Scarborough. Within the most of the city though, freeways are unnecessary and don't take people where they need to go. Where the highest concentration of population and density are (bounded north by the 401, south by the lake, east by the DVP and west by the 427), there are no freeways crossing this area. Most people living in Toronto (not Metro TO, but Toronto itself) barely need to use freeways