Horak: Time to get moving on rapid transit in London

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London politicians have been doing all they can to encourage more housing construction. Spurred on by new provincial policies and the promise of provincial and federal dollars, council has simplified planning regulations, sped up development approvals, and increased the maximum permitted heights across the city.

The results are striking. Between January and July of 2024, council approved 10,398 new housing units, about twice as much as in all of 2023. Thousands more units have got the go-ahead since July, including London’s largest-ever residential development, to be built on the grounds of the former London Psychiatric Hospital. Most of the new housing will take the form of intensification of already developed areas.

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Council’s push for intensification makes sense. The London area is expected to add 250,000 new residents during the next 25 years. We need more housing fast, especially lower-priced ownership units and affordable rentals. Building in areas that already have roads, water, and other infrastructure is the most efficient way to do this.

Intensification can have other benefits, too. Increased density makes a city more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable. Essential shops and services are more accessible, commuting distances are shorter, and neighbourhoods are livelier.

But there are challenges with intensification, in particular, transportation. More people and housing mean more traffic and congestion. There’s a congestion crisis looming in London’s near future, and council hasn’t been paying attention.

If council wants to stave off gridlock in the years to come, it needs to take bold action on transportation.

Major road-widening is not a viable solution. It often involves expensive and disruptive property expropriation, and study after study shows  road-widening doesn’t decrease congestion because more road space induces more traffic. Bike lanes can help a bit, but their potential is limited.

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What London really needs is a rapid transit system, a city-wide network of frequent, reliable transit lines – such as bus rapid transit (BRT) or light rail (LRT) – that run along dedicated rights-of-way, so they don’t mix with other traffic.

In big cities across Canada and around the world, rapid transit systems give people a fast, reliable urban transportation option, and a practical alternative to driving that reduces congestion. The more extensive the system is, the more useful it is.

London is building two bus rapid transit lines, one from Fanshawe College to downtown, and another from downtown to White Oaks Mall. These were approved in 2019, and are to be completed by 2028. They’re a good first step, but they will only connect a few parts of London, so their impact will be limited. London needs a comprehensive system with multiple lines that connect major destinations across the city.

The sooner London moves toward making this a reality, the better. Big infrastructure projects take years, and in the meantime, congestion will grow. It already has reached problem levels in the Oxford Street and Wonderland Road area and council has approved major new intensification projects there. The longer we wait, the more complicated and expensive it will be to build rapid transit.

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Fortunately, an opportunity for council to take action is coming soon. After more than two years of study, city officials will present a mobility master plan to council early in 2025. It will include options for developing road, transit, cycling, and pedestrian infrastructure in London during the next 25 years. It will be up to council to decide which options to endorse.

Council has shown that it’s not afraid to take the lead on challenging issues such as housing construction. By moving quickly and decisively on the connected issue of rapid transit, politicians will be demonstrating the strategic leadership we need in order to ensure a prosperous, sustainable and livable future for our city.

Martin Horak is an associate professor of political science at Western University and associate director of its Centre for Urban Policy and Local Governance

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