Ontario Community Newspapers

Whitby Free Press, 20 Sep 1989, p. 21

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WlTYFREE PRSS, WEDNESDAY, SEPMBER 20, 1989, PAGE 21 W hitb is a o i taprt of 'chy-stat'of4nilion The Greater Toronto Area (OTA) which includes Whitby and Durhami Region, has become a city-state of close to four million people producing. some 114 per cent of the total' ,,gross national product of Canada. London and Paris are the only. other cities which can dlaim- a larger contribution to their national economies. John Allen, president and publisher of Allmaps ,Canada Ltd., which has just released 'Streetfinder,' the largest and most comprehensive street guide of the Greater Toronto Aiea, said that during the two years it took to research and prepare the map book , It quickly became clear that Metro's boundaries were no longer representative of the true perimeter of Toronto, but instead formed the centre of a larger city-state encompassing the regions of Halton, Peel, York and ,Durham, and more accurately should be called the Greater Toronto Aiea." Conservative planners estimate the GTS's population will be 5.7 millin by 2021. "However, I wouldn't lie surprised to see that number top six million," said Allen. Allen began to document a number of interesting factq and projections about the Great Toronto Area gained from his own research and a variety of officiai City, Metro, regonal and provincial sources used during the preparation of the new map. book. GROWTH: *The most rapid growth will be in the regions of Peel, York and Durham, each of which will double. in size by 2011. The slowest growth will be in the City of Toronto, now void ofne development land for housing, and will show only a 10 per cent rise in population in the next 20 years; *Business will be powered. by growth in computer-based industries, advanced technology and financial services around the satellite city centres in North York, Scarborough, Kipling/ Islington, KennedyfiEglinton, Mis- sissauga and the new city centres planned at Eglinton/Black Creek Drive and LakeshorelParklawn; *Two-thirds of ail new jobs created in the next 25 years will be 'located in Peel,, York and Durham. Eighty per cent of these jobs will be office-based; "The manufacturing base is not expected to grow and is likely to be at the c'entre of controversy as pîanners in the future debate location; *Today, the GTA accounits for approximaw~ly 41 pet cent of the provincial populatiion. Current GTA population is 4stimated at eIn 191 8, there were more single-famiy dwelling units completedn the regions than in Metro o nto. On the other hand, Me constructed more semi-detaC ed, townhouses 'con- dominiums, etc. than the regiop:ns; *Betwoen 1982-88, the City of Toronto- èxiperiîenced the largest house price increases -- 162 per cent. The corresponding amounts for Metro Iýoronto, Durhamn, York and Peel were 150 per cent, 137 per cent, 135 per cent, and 123 per cent. The largest price increases for ail regions occurred between 1986-88. TRANlSPORTATION: *Urban sprawl and congestion. Each day there are 700,000 commercial truckr movements in the GTA. By the year 2,000 that number will have increased by 80 per cent which means there will be 1.3 million truck movements each day. Since commercial trucks represent approximately 15 per cent of total traffic volumes, it is not -difficult to imagine the task faced by planners;. 030 per cent of today's commercial transportation costs ($1.9 billion/yr.) can be a",-«buted tol traffic congestion in theý GTS. Tliscost is passed on to the consumer;ý *An :average of 00,000 vehicles use thé 401 daily ;o cross the top of Metro Toronto (1987). By way of comparison, thc Queen Elizabeth Way has an ýyeragé daily count of 150,000 vebicles. (1987); *The most traffic copested area in the GTA is the 401/400ý interchangze where the ivrage daily trafiîc count is over 107,000 vehicles. In 1983, the sanie interchange had an average daily traffic count of 237,000; *To help alleviate theý GTS s short and long termn traffi c congestion, the following projects are either: underway or will be in the next few years: Metro Finch Avenue connection, Gardiner widening & Front Street extension; Peel - Widening of Eglinton Ave. & 401; York - Expansiui n Of Rutherford Road, extension of 404 to Davis Drive in Newmarket; f)lrhnm -SteelesiTaunton Road; 407 - Construction across northern limita of Metro Toronto; 401 - Widening of eastbound collector lanes between Yonge & Warden. extensions of collector- distributor systems east to Pickering, and west to highway 10; . *ateways or interchange points where people cari move from cars to transit or from buses to high-speed transit are now in operation at FInch Station (Yonge subway line), the Scarborough Town Centre, Yorkdale and thte Mississauga City Centre; *New gateways targeted for early implementation include Kipling Station (Bloor, subway line), Renforth Drive (south of Pearson International- Airport) and Langstaff (H-ighway 7 at the Richmond 1Hill commuter lune); *Future gateways are being targeted for Sherway (427 & The Queensway), Milliken (Kennedy & Steeles) Malvern (Markham & Shepard) 'and York University; *Gateway sites, commuter fare integration (throughout the GTA) and the implementation of a servioe co-ordination program will provide direct benefits to people living in the GTA by improving access to the six city centres (Scarborough, North York, Kiplingflslington, Yonge Eglinton, Kennedy/Eglinton, Kennedy/ Eglinton and Missis- sauga) and providing faster SEE PAGE 22 JIM MUMFORD of the Durham locate the spring outiet, Region works department looks on four smailer outiets, a as Mario Mancuso finls up with space to the west side« water from Chalk Lake. Sprmg, Work is execé to be « north of Wbitby, on the east side of the end of September. Regional Rd. 23. Work has begun to SPRI1NG OUTLET .RELOCAT.ED tl, s w as JI MUMFORD of the'Durham Region works m a weina departmnent guides fil into the water-fîiled pit at Ofldh Pr=.1< the Chalk Lake Spring, north of Whitby, off o teroa Regional Rd. 23. The s pring outiet will be moved complte by to the west ýside of t he road, while additional Fr.. Pre photo outiets and parking space will be provided. Free Prem photo & s

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