ReThinking Transportation

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Re-Thinking Transportation
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Assumption

• For Decades, citizens and transportation
  professionals have assumed that the primary way
  to improve transportation is to increase traffic
  speed and road capacity.

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HoweverIt is becoming clear that this approach

• Is not affordable
• Imposes high social and environmental costs
• Can not solve traffic congestion problems

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Now most planners and traffic engineers
believeSolution is shifting from speed and
capacity to

• Enhancing access to stores, schools, jobs and
  services
• Offering diverse travel options
• Reducing the length of trips and vehicle
  kilometers traveled
• Reducing average speed along roads

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The new paradigm is

• Moving people instead of cars! Isnt that why we
  were moving cars in the first place?
• To challenge conventional approach that focus on
  the automobile.

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How much space do we need?

• Between 20 and 60 of traffic disappear when
  bridge or highway is removed.
• The capacity of lane of vehicle traffic is at
  maximum at 60km/h, drivers increase distance with
  higher speed.

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Beware of Biased Language

• Terms improvements, enhancement, efficiency
  are often euphemisms for increased vehicle speed
  and capacity reconstruct or change are
  usually more descriptive.
• When using level of service and traffic,
  specify pedestrian, bicycle or vehicular.

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Retrofit Roads for Quality of Life

• Simply changing stripping make roads safer and
  more livable.
• Pedestrian friendly streets are increasing
  probability that population will meet recommended
  30 minutes daily physical activity.
• 30 years ago 30 of all children walked or biked
  to school, today less than 10.

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Road Diet in George Street in Toronto

• Three or four lane roads are put on a diet to
  narrow them to two or three-lanes.
• Goals were
• to calm traffic on this street that flows through
  a campus of the University of Toronto,
• to increase pedestrian and cycling amenities,
• to create a more aesthetically pleasing community
  area.

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Woonerf - Living Street

• Streets in a city where pedestrians and cyclists
  have legal priority over motorists.
• Eye contact and human interaction are more
  effective means to achieve and maintain
  attractive and safe areas than signs and rules.

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Metrolinx - Linking People to PlacesRegional
Transportation Plan
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Metrolinx - Current Situation

• The Greater Toronto and Hamilton area is one of
  the fastest growing regions in North America 6
  millions 2008, 8.6 millions in 2031.
• Two singe-tier municipalities and four regional
  municipalities
• The Aim of this plan is to achieve a
  transportation system that is effective,
  integrated and multi-modal.

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Metrolinx - Current Stresses

• Increased reliance on cars
• A region designed for cars
• Disconnected transit services
• Years of under-investment
• Inefficient use of existing road and highway
  system
• Lack of options in areas of higher social need

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Metrolinx - The Challenge

• Population growth
• Climate change
• Increased energy cost
• Urbanization
• Shifting economies
• Aging population
• Public health

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Metrolinx - Goals and Objectives

• Transportation Choices
• Comfort and convenience
• Active and healthy lifestyles
• Safe and secure mobility
• Multi-modal integration
• Interconnectedness
• Efficiency and Effectiveness

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Metrolinx - Community Initiatives

• The Smart Commute Initiative, partnership of the
  Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area, with partial
  funding from Transport Canada and private sector
  partners.
• BikeLinx Program designed to accommodate and
  encourage trips which combine cycling and public
  transit throughout the GTHA.

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Metrolinx - BIG MOVE

• A complete walking and cycling network with
  bike-sharing programs.
• Promote best practices to integrate waking and
  cycling in road design bike boxes, signal
  prioritization.
• Promote active transportation mobility hubs,
  greenways strategies, park systems.

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Metrolinx - Improve the efficiency of the road
network

• Complete studies on the proposed transportation
  corridors.
• Identify, prioritize and resolve gaps and
  bottlenecks in the road network.
• Continue to promote Smart Commute Carpool Zone.
• Update municipal parking by-laws.

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Metrolinx - BIG MOVE

• An information system for travelers, where and
  when they need it.
• Coordinate schedules among transit service
  providers
• Undertake social marketing campaigns with
  information about transportation alternatives.

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Metrolinx - Communities that make traveling easier

• Built communities that are pedestrian, cycling
  and transit supportive.
• In new residential and commercial developments
  require all homes and businesses to be walking
  distance of the transit stop.
• New institutions, schools, hospitals, sporting
  and cultural venues should lead by example in
  pedestrian friendly and transit-oriented design.

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Metrolinx - Top priorities

• Urban corridors.
• Linking Union Station and Pearson Airport.
• Extending the reach of rapid transit.
• Improvements to the highway and regional road
  network.
• A growing walking and cycling network,
• A better traveling experience

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Metrolinx - Roles and Responsibilities

• Achieving the goals require the cooperation,
  support and commitments for all sectors from the
  Federal and Provincial governments to the
  municipalities and non-governmental
  organizations.
• Private sector, community based initiatives and
  individuals will have important role to play in
  understanding and implementing transportation
  factors.
• Academic Institutions should be a leaders in
  researching best practices and supporting
  demonstration projects, gathering the data and
  when necessary influencing change in the project
  course.

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