New London transportation plan ‘unimaginative, bland’: Expert

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Calling it “unimaginitive,” “bland” and politically safe, one planning expert isn’t sold on London’s master transportation plan so far.

The master mobility plan for London – one of Canada’s fastest-growing cities, expected to swell by more than 50 per cent in the next 25 years – aims to set out the city’s road, transit, bike lane and sidewalk network over that period.

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The third and final phase of the mobility plan was unveiled Dec. 9.

The plan still could change, based on public feedback that begins in January and politicians’ preferences, but Western University geographer and researcher Alexander Wray doesn’t mince words.

“(It’s) a complete and unconditional surrender to the forces of mediocrity,” he said in an interview. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a plan so bland and unimaginative, especially in a city that is rapidly growing.”

With that provincial forecast of explosive population growth in mind, Wray said the city needs to build decades out to meet demand, and the plan “does not meet the moment.”

Many promised road projects won’t address existing traffic woes, and are largely based on previous plans, including for subdivisions, he said. And Wray said he’s suspicious of the proposed bus rapid transit (BRT) network, too, citing a clause promising dedicated lanes “where feasible via road widening.”

He said he’s also disappointed by the lack of discussion about expanding the existing Thames Valley Parkway and planning a ring expressway, noting cities such as Kitchener-Waterloo, Calgary and Winnipeg began building theirs at a similar population level.

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“Council should be rejecting this . . . and sending (staff) back to the drawing board . . . frankly, any of the projects in there could be built without a mobility master plan and would be supported,” Wray said.

“There’s nothing in there to actually debate (or) discuss or (a) vision around what London could look like in 30 to 40 years.”

Martin Horak, a political scientist with Western’s local government program, believes the plan is missing some things, but many project specifics will likely come up when funding becomes available.

He’s also looking for what projects will get priority over others, saying it’s its unlikely everything in the plan will get the green light.

“A lot of what’s being proposed there has kind of already been in the long-range plans, and so it is more a matter of prioritizing the timing, and what’s actually going to get funded in the near future,” he said.

He said he’s pleased to see the return of proposed BRT routes to London’s north and west, calling it “substantial,” and needed to serve the city’s growth in those areas. Previous plans for northern and western BRT legs were shelved in 2019.

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Horak suspects the plan was drafted with an eye to what is politically feasible, rather than setting the bar too high, recalling the city’s Shift campaign to promote the initial light rail and BRT plan that became a lightning rod for controversy.

City hall faces a balancing act of managing pushback, while planning for growth and the possibility that different federal or provincial governments will change available funding, he said.

“I think that’s always an important consideration . . . producing plans that are politically, actually palatable,” he said. “Would I like to see more? Yes, but is this insubstantial? No.”

With new road projects mainly set for the suburbs, rapid transit should be top priority to address existing gridlock, Horak said. A “rapid transit ring” in the coming decades could address demand for suburban travel.

The draft networks will be presented to city councillors in the spring, with the full plan following later in the summer.

jmoulton@postmedia.com

@JackAtLFPress

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