Building new highways faster…

Building new highways faster does not seem to be an effective solution to gridlock. It may exacerbate the problem. New highways can lead to more cars trying to access these routes, which ultimately results in even worse congestion. Take the 407 toll highway as an example: when it was first built, it was free to use, but after being sold to private investors, tolls were introduced, making it less affordable for drivers and pushing more traffic onto nearby highways like the 401. The 407, intended to reduce congestion, has instead contributed to gridlock. Similarly, building new highways like the proposed Highway 413 will likely not alleviate car congestion in the long run. More highways will simply invite more cars, as cars remain the fastest, most affordable, and reliable mode of transportation for many people.

To reduce gridlock, we need to shift away from designing cities around cars. As shown in this video, which illustrates how much space cars take up when everyone drives alone (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_oWmY_mkCA), we can move people more efficiently by investing in alternative forms of transportation like buses, trains, and bikes.

Looking at examples from other countries can help us see how we might do better. For instance, Tokyo, Japan, has a population of over 37 million people, yet the city does not suffer from constant gridlock. This is because their transportation system was designed to prioritize trains and buses. In 2023, Japan's railways transported 21 billion passengers (https://www.statista.com/statistics/627136/japan-number-railway-passeng…), and that number is only growing. If Japan had 37 million cars on the road, the traffic would be unimaginable. Toronto, and Ontario in general, could be headed down a similar path if we don’t make changes now.

We can also learn from Japan’s success by improving our public transportation. Currently, trains only transport about 4% of people in Toronto compared to Tokyo (https://www.ttc.ca/transparency-and-accountability/Operating-Statistics…). If we invested more in making trains faster, more affordable, and reliable, we would see a reduction in car usage, as those who rely on cars for speed and convenience would have better options for commuting.

Moreover, cities like Copenhagen have proven that alternatives like cycling can work without relying on trains. In 2018, 1.44 million km were cycled per weekday in Copenhagen, and Dronning Louise’s Bridge, the most heavily trafficked cycling stretch in Denmark, saw more than 40,000 cyclists daily (https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/activities/copenhagens-bike-…). This shows how far and how many people can be moved by cycling. Instead of making it harder to build bike lanes, we should prioritize creating more pathways for cyclists. Building bike highways and innovative bridges for cyclists can also improve health, reduce noise, and lower greenhouse gas emissions.

Making it easier to build more highways is not the solution to reducing gridlock. The real solution lies in reducing the number of cars on the road by offering more transportation options, such as walking, cycling, and public transit. If we design our cities with these alternatives in mind, we can follow the example of successful cities worldwide that have found ways to transport people quickly and safely without relying on cars.