The Value of Investing in Canadian Downtowns - International ...

Connectivity
Today there is constant frustration among Torontonians and a prevailing concern that the City, particularly the core,
is grinding to a halt. Congestion on the City’s roadways and transit system is growing every year and Toronto ranks
as one of the most congested cities in North America. Despite the transportation system struggling to meet current
demand, Toronto and the GTA continues to grow and an increasing number of commuters place even more pressure
on the system. The City is working with the TTC and Metrolinx to address these mobility challenges, but an effective
response is often limited by a lack of resources, coordination, and an inability to sustain sufficient momentum to
realize these major infrastructure projects. Improvements to Union Station are cited as evidence of a commitment to
upgrade the role the downtown plays as a transportation hub.
The City is investing in pedestrian accessibility and prioritizing above ground movement by developing wider and
more attractive sidewalks that include gardens. Yet the City is also focused on improving the underground PATH
system – the result of a planning department vision dating from the 1970s. This system is one of the largest
pedestrian-only walkways and underground shopping complexes in the world. Consisting of close to 30kms of
pedestrian tunnels, concourses, walkways, bridges and retail arcades, it contains over 1000 shops and is used by
over 100,000 pedestrians every day, generating employment income, jobs and property tax. 17 The PATH system
combined with fine grained city blocks is needed to support the high density offices in the financial core.
The City has also made some effort to incorporate bicycles in
the urban transportation system. The BIXI Bike share
program (with 1,000 bicycles) has been a positive
development. The program also reaches many lower income
neighbourhoods, such as Regent Park, improving accessibility
across the downtown core. However decisions to halt bicycle
lanes along University Avenue or the removal of an existing
bicycle lane on Jarvis Street cast doubt on the City’s long term
view and commitment to expanding the role of bicycle usage
in the City.
Overall, connectivity will be one of downtown Toronto’s most
significant challenges in the coming decades. Yet if the City
keeps continuing down the same path, the future is grim. It is
estimated that the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area’s
population will increase by nearly 2.6 million by 2031. That will
add nearly one million additional cars to the morning rush
hour—all trying to access roads that are already at capacity. 18
Downtown interests cannot work alone on managing this
challenge, but they must play a key role in encouraging active
transportation to limit the number of cars in the core to
improve this situation in the future.
Typical morning rush along Toronto’s Don Valley
Parkway (eastern boundary of downtown study area)
17
City of Toronto (2011). PATH Pedestrian Network: Master Plan. Retrieved from: http://www.toronto.ca/planning/pdf/path_draftmasterplan.pdf. Accessed 2012
January 16.
18
Preville, P. (2008). Toronto’s Traffic Time Bomb. Retrieved from: http://www.torontolife.com/features/monster-jam/. Accessed 2012 January 16.
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