LETTER: Great Northern Rd, 2nd Line ground zero for bad decisions

SooToday received the following letter from reader Andre Riopel regarding the intersection of Great Northern Road and Second Line.

The intersection of Great Northern Road and Second Line is ground zero for bad decision-making in Sault Ste. Marie. Although the delays and congestion pale to what's routine in larger cities, it's annoying and arguably unsafe for everyone involved.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie wants to do something about it.

Although the details haven't been fully fleshed out, it's considering a number of proposals that will create 'secondary' corridors to alleviate the traffic burden on that intersection and section of the city. 

How did we get here? It should be clear to everyone that the status quo didn't materialize out of the blue. It came about because of conscious planning decisions that were made over previous decades at city hall.

Pillars of the community moved northward where the property was cheap. Developers staked their claim and created subdivisions that stretched city infrastructure while making residents more dependent on their cars. 

So what does a community do when a road gets too busy? When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

Let's build more roads, of course.

While municipalities could be forgiven for only keeping a hammer in their tool belt 50 years ago, the world has mostly moved on. Communities everywhere are expanding their tool belts, broadening their horizons, and making sure that their planning decisions are informed by data.

Think about this: Sault Ste. Marie's population has shrunk in the last four decades. Despite this, the area in which we reside keeps getting bigger. If we look at statistics, the city has one of the highest proportions of roads (measured by lane and kilometre) based on our population size in Ontario. That means that the city has to spend relatively more money on infrastructure and maintenance per capita than others do.

The proposed 'study' to find the 'best' way to solve traffic congestion does not even consider proven methods aimed at reducing traffic volumes. Urban planners use the concept of 'induced demand' to make the point that design features (like the structure of our road system) incentivize certain transportation modes (driving) over others (walking and cycling). If you don't account for how the built environment might discourage active transportation, you're going to make assumptions that lead to bad policy.

Far from a radical idea, considering the presence of 'induced demand' is now a best practice in urban planning. Further, there is solid evidence to show that reducing induced demand leads to less traffic congestion (and healthier and safer communities). When neighbourhoods are dense and well-resourced, a long commute plagued by traffic delays is no match for supporting local businesses and staying active.

In a broader context, building more roads is antithetical to the climate goals being set by the city. Despite its recent pledge to decrease its emissions, its newest inventory numbers actually show a 10 per cent increase. That upward trend may not necessarily continue, but good municipal planning can easily have a hand in reversing it.

To stem the tide of urban sprawl, we also need to stop expanding the city and fill in what already exists (and is well-serviced by City infrastructure).

What does that look like?

Less far-flung subdivisions and more strengthening of existing neighbourhoods that have amenities nearby. Changes in zoning regulations to encourage mixed-use neighbourhoods that support local businesses rather than encouraging commutes for staples. Further investments to create pedestrian and cycling-friendly infrastructure that connects neighbourhoods and opens up green spaces for children and seniors alike.

In sum, we need to understand traffic congestion from the demand side of the equation. It's the only long-term, viable solution.

If we don't consider how the design of the city itself encourages congestion and a lack of safety on our roads, we're doomed to keep looking for a bigger hammer.

Andre Riopel

Sault Ste. Marie