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February
18, 2003
SURVEY FINDS HAMILTON OVERLOADED 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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