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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, November 28, 2013 | 6 Spotlight by Catherine O'Hara and David Lea Metroland West Media "Connected to your Community" Residents face congestion, gridlock and hours behind the wheel In an attempt to beat traf c, Jenn Dickson Tooley leaves her Waterdown home very early every weekday morning. Just as she pulls out of her driveway at 5:30 a.m., a family in nearby Freelton is also starting the day. Like Dickson Tooley, the Petznick clan is out the door and on the road before many people's alarm clocks ring. They are not alone. According to the 2011 National Household Survey, an estimated 15.4 million Canadians commute to work. Of those, 11.4 million drive to their place of employment. More than 77 per cent of workers in Hamilton get behind the wheel of a car, truck or van to get to their destination. In Burlington, there are an estimated 1.75 vehicles per household. The sheer number of vehicles on local roads and highways makes the daily commute a grind for many. Severe traf c congestion can turn a half-hour drive into a two-hour exercise in frustration, robbing those trapped within it of time with their families and slowing the pace of business by keeping goods and services from reaching their destinations in a timely manner. It's a necessary evil, said Dickson Tooley. "It's a necessity to be endured for a job in an industry where my specialty is rarely found in Ontario outside of Toronto, and where my family has other ties and commitments keeping us from moving into the city," said the IP system administrator. Cory Petznick would love nothing more than to work closer to home. But nding a job in Milton, Mississauga, Hamilton, or Kitchener with a comparable salary is easier said than done. A trade planning manager for a company that markets, manufactures and sells organic and natural products, Petznick tolerates the drive to his job near Toronto's Lester B. Pearson International Airport, a commute that takes more than hour during peak hours. "It's just unproductive down time, but a necessary part of life that we face every day," he said. His wife Molly, a Montessori school teacher in Mississauga, also spends a lot of time in her vehicle. So, too, do the couple's two sons, Joshua and Cole, who attend the Peel Region school. Traf c congestion on highways has forced Residents of Halton all have their own tales of traf c woes. Local of cials are working today to alleviate the pressure and everyone is thinking about long-term solutions. | photo by Eric Riehl ­ Metroland West Media (Follow on Twitter @halton_photog) Everyone has experienced it. Many endure it every day. It's the ordeal of being stuck on a traffic-choked highway or road staring at an endless line of brake lights. Shifting Gears, a three-part Metroland West special series, reveals traffic congestion not only has serious personal implications, it also impacts the environment and economy. A relief valve is needed. families in Halton and neighbouring Hamilton to make unbelievable sacri ces. The phenomenon is far from unknown for those who live or work in Oakville. Accepting a position in north Oakville requires Burlington resident Lynne Cocklin, to drive a very congested stretch of the highway on an almost daily basis. "It was like being a NASCAR driver because drivers changed lanes without signaling and no matter how much space you left between you and the next car, someone always squeezed in," she said. Catherine O'Hara Eric Riehl David Lea In addition to sharing her own experiences, Cocklin said friends who worked at the Ford of Canada plant in Oakville, but lived in Stoney Creek, were forced to move east because they spent the bulk of their free time commuting. They were on the road at 4 a.m., coming home at 7 p.m. "They had no life," she said. The distance between Dickson Tooley's Waterdown home and of ce, located off the 401 at Leslie Road near Hwy. 404, is approximately 80 kilometres. Her morning trek takes a minimum of 55 minutes. "Coming home, if I'm not on the 401 by 3:15 p.m. I'd better be prepared to spend $25 for the 407 to get home in under 90 minutes or sit in traf c for two-plus hours," she said. The hours the local mom spends travelling is precious time away from her children. She doesn't get to eat breakfast with them on workdays, nor does she walk them to school. Seldom can she attend or participate in afterschool activities without taking a vacation day from work. When she does, it takes away from the family's time off together. see What's on p.10 Volume 51 | Number 34 447 Speers Road, Oakville ON (905) 845-3824 Oakville Beaver is a member of the Ontario Press Council. The council is located at 80 Gould St., Suite 206, Toronto, Ont., M5B 2M7. Phone (416) 340-1981. Advertising is accepted on the condition that, in the event of a typographical error, that portion of advertising space occupied by the erroneous item, together with a reasonable allowance for signature, will not be charged for, but the balance of the advertisement will be paid for at the applicable rate. The publisher reserves the right to categorize advertisements or decline. Editorial and advertising content of the Oakville Beaver is protected by copyright. Unauthorized use is prohibited. 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