Again I'll contrast London to Lubbock, TX. Lubbock is half the size of London, but has I-27 running N-S through the city, Loop 289, a full limited access ring, and the recent billion dollar 82/62 freeway from downtown, SW past the University and out well past the ring (they bulldozed Buddy Holly's childhood neighborhood to build it). All of these have two lane service roads on both sides, along their full length. So, that means its time to start on their SECOND ring road, the Outer Loop. London could still build anything it wants, including a ring road or cross town freeway. It just takes money and a will to do so. Unfortunately, I'm now convinced that the Anti-Car mentality is what always had and will hold this city back. The Council of the 70s rejected the Provincial freeway build offer and a lot of their motivation was a general anti-car ethos (they don't have Gina Barber's Car Free Sundays in Lubbock, lol) - I remember Jane Bigelow suggesting everyone put a brick in your toilet to save water.
Problem is that the way London is laid out with a downtown and everything going out in all directions means we are naturally a car city. Same with Lubbock's layout. Trouble is we have a lot of people that want to deny that and try and impose strategies that only really work in cities laid out differently. Mass transit really works in Toronto because everyone who is downtown goes in less directions (not south, and mostly north to meet the Bloor line.).
http://www.lubbockonline.com/storyimage/TX/20180722/NEWS/180729783/AR/0/AR-180729783.jpg
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