Poll: Have You contacted your city councillor to give them input for ShiftLondon?

[Stevo26]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

I think it is ridiculous that a city like London takes between 30-45 minutes to cross by car. Absolutely ridiculous. Transit? 90 minutes, or more. Abysmal.

All of which is the end result of successive city councils refusing to plan for the future. They seemed content with the idea of London not progressing much, but didn't realize that population growth and other changes would drag the city kicking and screaming into the future, like it or not.

One of the things militating against an expressway that bisects the city on an east-west axis is the prohibitive cost of expropriating the property that will be needed to build such a road. Had the city started building the expressway in stages, as Kitchener and Hamilton did, we would not be faced with this conundrum today.

The city knows it has consistently dropped the ball on transportation, and this is why it keeps rehashing the subject of a pointless ring road that would force drivers to go out of their way to traverse the city - it's a way of saving face and diverting attention from the real issues.

Heck, my old home town of Sarnia has an in-city expressway, it's simply an extension of the 402 that runs from the Bluewater Bridge with exits for the downtown core, the secondary business district, and the suburban areas. Sarnia's so small it doesn't need an expressway, and it's unlikely to ever grow enough to really need one, but the fact that it is there positions the city well for future growth if it should ever happen. By comparison, because of a slew of bad decisions, London has pretty well hamstrung itself and will be limited in what it can do to accommodate growth.

[Blitz]

^ People laughed when it took Windsor over two decades to build its expressway but that city has zero traffic problems today and you can get across town in 15 minutes any time. London is a total disaster during rush hours.

[Rosso Corsa]

Didn't want to ask for funding for fear of rejection? It's your f***ing job to ask for funding! Cowards.

[Stevo26]

Originally Posted by Rosso Corsa

Didn't want to ask for funding for fear of rejection? It's your f***ing job to ask for funding! Cowards.

Exactly. I don't know what some members think they will accomplish by not asking for the funding. As Canada's 11th-largest city, it deserves a share of public infrastructure money that is commensurate with its size and status.

Are the councillors afraid that if they push the issue, they won't get funding for anything else, ever??

As of 2011, Hamilton was Canada's 10th largest city, and guess what? It's getting funding for a LRT system or is at least actively pursuing it.

I'd really like to know why people think that London should always be treated as the poor, undeserving cousin.

[AbabelleS]

totally agree. this city needs to wake up