Yonge and Wellington problems are nothing new

October 9, 2013 · 0 Comments

(Re: New Condos put Yonge and Wellington Traffic in Spotlight)

Traffic at Yonge and Wellington has probably been in the spotlight since 1913 when there were about two thousand folks in town. Council and staff should relax in the knowledge that as Aurora’s population goes over 90,000 by 2050, that this transportation crossroad will remain in the spotlight.
In 1916, Ontario created a department of Public Highways to design and build connections between communities. Over time, the nomenclature and functions have morphed from Highways to Transportation. Now, under the 2009 update to the 2002 Transportation Master Plan, York regional roads are looked after by the Transportation and Community Planning Department.
There was a Region transportation meeting in Thornhill on September 18, under the title “Building Roads that Build Community.”
Both the introduction words from Angela Gibson, Head, Policy and Planning, and the workshop facilitated by Los Angeles urban planner James Roja, demonstrated that twentieth century planning is replaced.
Now the challenge is to make the regional roads provide appropriate transportation functions for the walkers, the cyclists, the transit riders and the motorists who pass through. In addition these regional roads are also local streets for the mixed-use commercial and residential people who live, work and play there.
We look forward to this partnership as our Yonge Street Promenade evolves.

Gordon Barnes
Aurora