Quote:
Originally Posted by The_Architect
Toronto's highway network is actually quite good in the way that there are many of them to transport people, yet not many of them actually take away from the feel of the city itself.
There's a reason the Spadina Expressway was scrapped, which would have done exactly what you're saying.. It would have ripped right through the Annex and Downtown Toronto, and we would have become Detroit, it's terrible. I'm 100% glad they scrapped it, and people shouldn't be driving into Downtown in numbers like that anyways.
It was executed quite fine, and transit was going to be, before Mr. Gravy Train mayor scrapped the good transit plan in place of one that costs more money and serves less people (which is somehow cutting wasteful spending).
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I agree Spadina was a terrible idea that was done moreless to service Yorkdale Mall. It would have required 100s more homes & business destroyed, cut through parklands and cultural areas, dumped 10,000s of cars into the downtown like it does on Eglinton. If only they hadn't wasted 10s of millions on it and directed to other roads or public transit!
Atleast with Black Creek the city owns the ROW and it still can expand it to an expressway if it had to (politically suicidal tho). As well Black Creek-400 would be a good bookend of a expressway similar to DVP-404 connecting. I've seen plans to either tunnel it under Georgetown GO line or overtop via viaduct to the Gardiner. It would be tolled so it could pay for itself and help fund future transit projects!
IMO you have to have a balanced approach to transit, that consists of both freeways & public transit. However in Toronto any mention of freeways draws out Spadina similarities (whether real or perceived) that end that discussion quickly and public transit plans are as stable as the government proposing them (Network 2011, Eglinton West, Transit City). Therefore nothing changes, more people having to use the same roads & transit system that existed 30 years ago!
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