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March 2004
Newsletter
Hamilton Over-loaded with Roads
Hamilton has one of the highest per capital levels of expressways and arterial roads in Canada. A survey compiled as part of the City's transportation master plan process puts Hamilton at more than twice the level of Toronto. And this doesn't include the Red Hill Creek Expressway.
The survey examined ten major cities and calculated the number of metres of expressway or arterial lanes per person. Hamilton has 7.1 metres. Toronto is 3.0, Kitchener-Waterloo 3.7, and Oshawa 5.5. Only Ottawa (at 7.4) exceeds Hamilton.
Hamilton also has the second highest annual fuel use per person at 1,242 litres only slightly lower than Oshawa at 1,248, but well ahead of Ottawa (1,088), Toronto (1,117) and KW (1,053). The study also shows per capital fuel consumption in Hamilton more than 10% above the average for Canada's 27 largest metropolitan areas.
The survey reports that Hamilton ranks 4th lowest in the ten cites in transit use and third highest in cars per person. Transit use in Hamilton dropped from 12% of rush-hour trips to 7% between 1986 and 2001. In the 1991-2001 period, fares jumped more than 20% while hours of service dropped more than 25% on the HSR. City spending on transit also fell sharply during this decade.
The survey information can be found on the City website at http://www.hamilton.ca/public-works/capital-planning/city-wide-tmp/PDF/PIC-1-Display-Boards.pdf
If you would like to influence transportation planning in Hamilton, you should review the information and fill out a citizen survey on-line at http://www.hamilton.ca/public-works/capital-planning/city-wide-tmp/survey/survey.asp
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